Media Newsletter - 21 March

Find out how you can keep audiences interested in news, apply for a career-defining opportunity from National Geographic and meet a Kenyan jeweler who repurposes cattle horn luxury accessories.

1. Journalism Trends: News fatigue is not new, but it’s increasingly becoming an issue that journalists and newsrooms grapple with. So, how do you keep audiences interested and engaged? A survey of 303 media leaders from 53 countries points to the following trends of countering news fatigue and avoidance, including explanatory journalism, Q and A formats, solutions and constructive journalism and inspirational stories.

2. Who’s funding: Emerging and established journalists interested in stories of the Ocean, Land, Wildlife, Human History and Cultures, and Human Ingenuity can apply for National Geographic grants. Grantees will also be empowered with cutting-edge tools, technology, and training. Grants worth up to $20,000 are for early career applicants and $100,000 for advanced career applicants. Deadline: 12 April. More info.

3. Training Opportunity: Do you want to report on critical societal issues without focusing on negative narratives that perpetuate stereotypes or disempower communities? Solutions Journalism is for you. Join the Solutions Journalism webinar to explore the ins and outs of solutions journalism, why it’s important and get tips and resources for journalists interested in investigating how people are responding to social problems. The webinar will be held on 11 April. Register here.

4. In the Spotlight: The 2023 class of the prestigious Nieman Fellowship is in session at Harvard University and this year, Africa is represented by Adefemi Akinsanya. She earned her stripes as a producer for outlets that include Al Jazeera English, the Turkish public broadcaster TRT World and Reuters. For the fellowship, she is studying how deteriorating media freedom in her country is connected to the protests against police violence, and working on building a news management platform to connect journalists to jobs and help reporters tell stories from underrepresented communities. She works as an international correspondent and anchor for Arise News in Lagos. Watch her report, Diamonds in the Dirt: The Hidden Value of Plastic Pollution, here.

5. Stories that moved us: What does a vice president at SC Johnson Business School at Cornell University in the United States, an interior design ambassador in New York, and an associate professor at America's first research university, have in common? All three exclusively purchase jewelry from Lukagwa African Art and Jewellers Company, a 14-year-old Nairobi-based wearable art business boutique. Read more about how founder, Lucille Nyikuri, repurposes cattle horns into elegant, distinctive jewelry snapped in luxury markets worldwide.

Follow @BirdStoryAgency on social media for more stories that represent Africa better, away from stereotypes of poverty, disease, poor leadership, corruption and conflict. Media outlets that want to use bird content, for free, can contact tom@africainsight.co.ke