AI and the future of African Journalism



18th February 2025 was chosen as the special day for this particular forum. Media Festival, in collaboration with Baraza Media Lab, convened a high-leve media roundtable titled journalists to combat misinformation and developing ethical AI guidelines. The roundtable discussion at Baraza Media Lab officesalso served as a prelude to the upcoming Africa Media Festival, schedued for 26th and 27th February at the National Museums of Kenya. 

Maurice Otieno –Executive Director, Baraza Media Lab emphasized, AI is an emerging phenomenal where journalists, regulators, and AI experts explore how AI could be harnessed responsibly to drive safeguard journalistic integrity.

Africa lags in AI adoption due to limited exposure. The main limitation is that we hardly feed our local knowledge to the system. As a result at times when searching we end up with information that is irrelevant to our local context. If it's usage can be adopted at a younger age, it's usage will be more effective over time.

According to reent studies, over 50% of global media organizationshave adopted AI tools for conten. Reuters research shows that 50% of global media organizations use AI tools. We must protect creative and more aggressive in order to get African media in almost the same levels. We need to play catch up rather than just watch as others make effective use of the tools we are not using. It is time that we catch up to the emerging global trends. 

Balancing AI Innovation and Ethical Journalism Karanja Jackson –Regional Coordinator, Media Council of Kenya stressed, “AI is not replacing journalists." Instead it is a tool that can be used to make the spread of news articles more effective and factual. The Media Council of Kenya is actively training journalists to embrace AI positively without becoming lazy with the dessimination of news. Measures are being taken to ensure AI-generated content maintains accuracy and accountability. This is by avoiding copy paste and instead using AI to enhance the already available information.

The forum provided a platform for stakeholders to share insights, showcase best practices, and collaborate integrating AI for newsroom automation, audience analytics, and fact-checking. This kinds of forums will also be conducted more frequently as they are relevant in journalism empowerment.

Baraza Media Lab hosted this roundtable to examine the disruptions AI is causing in the media sector. AI should be looked up in as a springboard to better and more relevant journalism. As it is becoming easier to detect AI generated information, the question remains how do we use AI without promoting the vice of plagiarism.

Dr. Keziah Wangui Githinji –Lecturer, Broadcast Mutimedia Journalism, USIUshared insights from the editorial autonomy while adopting AI responsibly through better regulation and training to streamline media operations while maintaining ethical standards and regulatory compliance.

Sustainable Media Futures.”The discussion brought together thought leaders, making us consumers rather than creators. Addressing this gap is essential to remain competitive.”

AI and the Future of African Journalism: Insights from the Baraza Media Lab Roundtablethe line? As African journalists, we cannot remain passive; we must actively participate in shaping AI’s role. 

With AI adoption rising globally, Africa must invest in digital literacy and AI training to ensure media remains innovative and competitive. The roundtable set the stage for deeper industry collaboration.

AI’s success hinges on its ethical application and practical use within journaism. While automation enhances efficiency, participants stressed that AI shoud complement rather than replace human creativity,.



 

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