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AI-Powered Fact-Checking and Verification Tools

Emmanuel Bahindi, Antonio Kisembo, Echeru Rodney Oluma

Kampala: AI Media Lab, Media Challenge Initiative (2026), 23 pp.

"This report focuses on the tools journalists can use to check claims and assess digital material. It treats tool outputs as evidence to be evaluated rather than final answers, and places verification within a human editorial process. Readers gain a practical frame for selecting and using AI-support ... more

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Detecting and Countering AI-Enabled Disinformation

Emmanuel Bahindi, Antonio Kisembo, Echeru Rodney Oluma

Kampala: AI Media Lab, Media Challenge Initiative (2026), 18 pp.

"This paper follows AI-enabled disinformation from production through distribution and monetisation. It considers what detection tools can and cannot establish and places verification within the wider work of journalism and public communication. The practical value lies in helping readers recognise ... more

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Lückenfüller: Was kommt, wenn die Lokalzeitung geht?

Thomas Schnedler, Malte Werner

Berlin: Netzwerk Recherche (2026), 77 pp.

"Die Autoren des Reports, Thomas Schnedler und Malte Werner, analysieren am Beispiel der Region Greiz im thüringischen Vogtland, welche Folgen der Bedeutungsverlust der Lokalzeitung hat. Sie haben im Dialogprojekt „Lückenfüller – Leben ohne Zeitung?“ mit 50 Bürger:innen in der Region darü ... ber gesprochen, wie sie sich informieren. In den Gruppendiskussionen zeigte sich, dass drei interessengeleitete Gratismedien versuchen, die entstehenden Lücken in der Berichterstattung zu füllen. Erstens werden Amtsblätter und kommunale Social Media-Kanäle wichtiger, die neben nützlichen Informationen auch Raum für Selbstdarstellung der Verwaltung bieten. Zweitens erscheinen in der Region kostenlose Anzeigenblätter mit einseitigen, polemischen Inhalten und verwischen die Grenze zwischen Werbung, Meinung und Berichterstattung. Drittens betreiben AfD-Politiker:innen in Greiz ein eigenes Lokalmedium im Internet. Auf der Webseite berichten sie unter anderem über kommunalpolitische Initiativen der rechtsextremen Partei, ohne die Interessenkonflikte ausreichend transparent zu machen. „Wenn pseudojournalistische Medien im Lokalen erstarken und sich als Sprachrohr einer Gegenöffentlichkeit inszenieren, dann sind das keine guten Aussichten für das Gemeinwesen vor Ort“, sagt Thomas Schnedler, Co-Autor des Greenhouse Reports. „In Greiz ist es nicht die Nachrichtenwüste, die uns Sorgen macht. Wir warnen vor dem Gift der Parolen, das über rechtsextreme Medien und Social Media-Kanäle in das journalistische Ökosystem und den öffentlichen Diskurs einsickert.“ Der Report macht deutlich, dass es mehr Angebote zur Förderung von Medienkompetenz braucht, damit Menschen unabhängigen Journalismus besser erkennen und nutzen können. „Vor allem jungen Menschen ist es offenbar nicht mehr so wichtig, aus welcher Quelle sie ihre Informationen erhalten, solange die Darreichungsform ihrem Nutzungsverhalten entspricht“, sagt Malte Werner, Co-Autor des Reports. Deshalb sei es notwendig, passende digitale Formate zu entwickeln. Wichtig seien zudem ein stärkerer Austausch mit allen Bürger:innen sowie Begegnungsräume, damit der Lokaljournalismus für die Community erlebbar wird. Die Publikation empfiehlt außerdem, die Recherche im Lokalen zu stärken, zum Beispiel durch regionale Rechercheverbünde. Auch die Bürger:innen sehen in diesem Feld Handlungsbedarf: In mehreren Gruppendiskussionen wurde der Wunsch nach mehr Hintergründen und Perspektivvielfalt in der Lokalberichterstattung geäußert." (www.netzwerkrecherche.org) more

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Engaged Journalism: A Vision for Closer Connections

Sora Park, Kristy Hess, T. J. Thomson, Jee Young Lee, Janet Fulton

Canberra; Melbourne: University of Canberra; Deakin University; RMIT University (2026), 18 pp.

"Across our combined research, we found a common thread—that audiences want more engagement with news and the ability to engage with each other through news media platforms. The future of local news will depend on finding new ways—and rediscovering tried and traditional approaches—to reach and ... engage audiences in the digital age, while securing sustainable funding needed to support quality journalism. At the heart of this challenge, we found the three Cs—community, commitment, and continuity—to be a useful frame. By working collaboratively with local communities, delivering relatable news, and maintaining a close connection to local issues, news providers can strengthen audience trust, engagement and long-term organisational sustainability. The key takeaways across our combined research include: 1 Diversifying news formats: Audiences appreciate a variety of news formats, especially those that resonate with their connection to the community. Simply republishing content on an outlet’s website from the print edition isn’t making use of the affordances of different channels to best engage audiences across different demographic cohorts. 2 Co-creation of news: It is also important to leverage the willingness of community members to participate in the production of news. Participatory approaches, including arts-based methods such as photo voice activities and poetry competitions, can play an important role in this process. These activities can engage different demographic cohorts to identify the topics that are relevant to them and that they want to discuss with the community (for examples of participatory approaches, please see Sampler of engaged journalism approaches on page 11) 3 Paying and sharing: News paywalls are considered as one of the key barriers to accessing quality news among many Australians. Knowing this, many are willing to share content that they purchased with others. Some are willing to pay so that others can access news for free. Others—what might be termed ‘latent’ news audiences—indicate they would be more engaged with news content if it was available free. 4 Relational trust: Trust, legitimacy and the reputation of local news providers develops through ongoing relationships and a shared sense of place along with the belief that journalists have the community’s best interests at heart. We have termed these ideas as ‘relational trust’, ‘mediated social capital’ and ‘news presence’. Local journalists are often part of the community they cover, reporting on issues that directly affect residents’ daily lives, with a shared sense of identity. 5 Social media undermine trust: There is also growing concern that social media are becoming an increasingly toxic environment and a breeding ground for misinformation, leaving many people without access to trusted, reliable local news and information. 6 Local media are about community connection: Local and national news organisations are responding to digital transformation in different ways. National media tend to prioritise scale and reach, using multi-platform distribution, audience analytics and diversified content strategies to serve increasingly fragmented audiences. Local media—especially place-based news providers—tend to prioritise relevance, focusing on community connections, hyperlocal content and building audience trust. 7 Revenue diversification: To ensure access to news for all, news organisations may need to diversify their revenue models. Local journalism can be supported through a mix of subscriptions, advertising, philanthropy and public funding. There is also growing potential to harness the goodwill and local knowledge among members of the community and organisations through participatory models. By engaging audiences not just as consumers, but as stakeholders, local news can strengthen both its financial sustainability and its connection to the communities it serves." (Key findings and focus areas, pages 8-9) more

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Radio in Guinea-Bissau: Die Stimme des Friedens

Frida Nsonde

welt-sichten (2026)

"Ein italienischer Priester hat vor 25 Jahren den katholischen Radiosender Sol Mansi in Guinea-Bissau gegründet. Heute ist er der meistgehörte Sender des Landes, auch weil er sich dem sozialen Zusammenhalt und der Vielfalt verschrieben hat." (Einleitung)

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AI and Digital Journalism Education

Emmanuel Bahindi, Antonio Kisembo, Echeru Rodney Oluma

Kampala: AI Media Lab, Media Challenge Initiative (2026), 29 pp.

"This paper addresses how journalism schools can respond when students use AI faster than educators and curricula adapt. It considers emerging curriculum models, assessment and academic integrity, then presents a worked course framework grounded in African realities. The discussion gives educators a ... more

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Meeting the Revenue Challenge: Philanthropy's Role in Local News Growth

Mark Fuerst, Caroline Porter, Feather Houstoun

Philadelphia, PA: Wyncote Foundation (2026), 32 pp.

"Starting in February 2025, we set out to identify and examine success stories among local news groups, where success was sustainability in business operations, even if that term has a range of interpretations. We reasoned that the experiences of these successful organizations might carry predictive ... more

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Climate Change and Environmental Journalism in Africa

Emmanuel Bahindi, Antonio Kisembo, Echeru Rodney Oluma

Kampala: AI Media Lab, Media Challenge Initiative (2026), 33 pp.

"This paper considers the conditions under which African journalists cover climate change and environmental issues. It connects reporting practice with the challenge of communicating complex evidence to audiences, while considering where digital and AI tools may assist. Readers can use the discussio ... more

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Training the Trainers: Educator Capacity Building for the AI Era

Emmanuel Bahindi, Antonio Kisembo, Echeru Rodney Oluma

Kampala: AI Media Lab, Media Challenge Initiative (2026), 16 pp.

"This paper argues that educator development can extend AI competence across a media system more effectively than isolated individual training. It describes a training-of-trainers model, participatory learning principles and a Head-Hand-Heart structure for designing lessons. The discussion also addr ... more

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The Local News Playbook: Creating Value for a Sustainable Future
Deep Insights

London; Miami: FT Strategies; Knight Foundation (2026), 105 pp.

"Drawing on global interviews with newsroom leaders, a cross-market survey of exemplary organisations, and FT Strategies’ work with more than 1,000 media businesses worldwide, the playbook identifies the core drivers that distinguish financially sustainable, community-rooted local news. It reframe ... more

Mapping Information Environments for Marginalised Communities in Central and Eastern Africa

Minority Rights Group

Canal France International (CFI); Advancing Global Innovation and Learning Effectively to Build Resilience in Independent Media (AGILE) (2025), 50 pp.

"1. In rural areas, word of mouth is often the only information system that works: In the DRC, over 80% of media outlets are clustered in the capital Kinshasa, leaving vast rural areas effectively without coverage. Ethnic minority groups such as the Batwa and Bambuti rated the relevance of the infor ... mation they receive at 0.5 out of 3, considering it to be "never relevant”. In these communities, access to information depends less on digital innovation than on trusted local networks: local leaders, women’s groups, grassroots organisations. These systems re resilient, but they are not infallible - information shared informally can be incomplete, delayed, or distorted before it reaches its intended audience. AGILE will support more accessible and inclusive information by working with trusted local intermediaries, community networks, and communication channels that already form the backbone of information access for marginalised communities. 2. Radio is still the backbone of information access – and it is under threat: In Uganda, 87% of respondents reported having a working radio at home. In Zambia, around 60% of the population listens to radio daily. In the DRC, more than 4,000 radio stations serve communities across the country. In a region where digital access remains unequal, radio is not a legacy medium - it is the primary information lifeline for millions. But this ecosystem is now under severe pressure. Following the cut to US foreign aid in 2025, community radio stations, that relied primarily on this funding source, face an uncertain future. Where community radio disappears, so does the locally rooted, trusted voice that keeps misinformation in check and civic life alive. AGILE will work with community radios, local organisations, and trusted community networks to help information reach people in more accessible and relevant ways. 3. Language is the most underestimated barrier, and communities have a clear ask: When asked what would most improve the information they receive, communities across all four countries gave a consistent answer: Translate it into our languages, and simplify it. Language is the decisive and most consistently underestimated barrier to information access. Official communications, media broadcasts, and humanitarian messages are routinely produced in dominant administrative languages that large parts of the population do not fully understand. Even where people speak the dominant language, technical jargon and bureaucratic phrasing can produce near-total incomprehension. On average, marginalised community members report understanding the language used in information only “sometimes”. In the DRC, ethnic minorities rate their comprehension between “rarely” and “sometimes”. In Tanzania, Hadzabe and Akie communities whose languages are oral and rarely represented in any media, rate their comprehension at the bottom of the scale. In contrast, Zambia is the only country where ethnic minorities rated their language comprehension as "often" adequate, a direct result of community radio broadcasting in multiple local languages. Respondents described asking their school-going children to explain official broadcasts, or depending on religious leaders or NGO staff to interpret messages. As information passes through multiple intermediaries, it can be delayed, simplified, or distorted - sometimes significantly - before reaching the people who need it. AGILE will prioritise multilingual, audio-first, and simplified content production across all activities co-designed with community radios, women's groups, and disability organisations to ensure that the needs of different communities are better reflected. 4. When information doesn't reflect communities' realities, they stop trusting it - or stop receiving it altogether: Accuracy is necessary but not sufficient. Communities are more likely to engage with - and trust - information when it reflects their realities and responds to their everyday concerns. When it doesn't, they disengage. Women across all four countries described a consistent pattern: stories about gender issues may be factually correct, but they "fail to reflect women's lived realities, rendering them irrelevant”. In the DRC, women's comprehension of information is rated as “rarely” adequate - not because they cannot understand the language, but because the content does not speak to their lives. The pattern is even sharper for some ethnic minorities. Maasai respondents described appearing in the media “rarely on their own terms” - their way of life consistently framed as a problem to be solved, rather than a legitimate system with its own logic and history. Several communities reported being exposed to derogatory language and hate speech in the way they are described in media. For people with disabilities, the exclusion takes a different form: the near-total absence of accessible formats. Across all four countries, sign language, braille, and audio-adapted content remain the exception rather than the rule. Information that cannot be accessed cannot be trusted - or used. AGILE will work more closely with marginalised communities to ensure their perspectives, experiences, and ways of understanding information are reflected in media and communication efforts. 5. Inclusive reporting already exists but journalists still face major barriers: Across all four countries, many journalists and media professionals recognise the importance of more inclusive, community-focused reporting. The mapping found this awareness to be widespread - the gap is not one of knowledge or intent, but of resources and conditions. Putting inclusive reporting into practice remains difficult. Covering remote communities takes time and money that most newsrooms do not have. Editorial priorities favour urban, mainstream audiences. In Zambia, several journalists described stories about marginalised communities as regularly sidelined because they are considered “unprofitable”. In the DRC and Tanzania, political and legal pressures further narrow the space for sensitive reporting. The result is a gap between what journalists know needs to happen, and what the system allows them to do. AGILE will support media professionals, community radios, and local organisations to strengthen inclusive reporting practices, improve community engagement, and produce information that is more accessible, relevant, and responsive to the needs of marginalised communities." (https://cfi.fr/en/news/5-things-we-learned-about-access-information-underserved-communities-central-and-eastern-africa) more

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Cines de pequeña escala: Nuevas estéticas, prácticas y plataformas en la región andina

Christian León, Diana Coryat, Noah Zweig (coord.)

Quito: Editorial El Conejo; Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar Ecuador (2025), 363 pp.

"Este libro examina el surgimiento de los cines de pequeña escala en los Andes, que abarcan las periferias digitales de Ecuador, Bolivia, Perú y Colombia. Analiza críticamente las prácticas audiovisuales heterogéneas y los agentes subalternos, dilucidando las tensiones, contradicciones y resist ... more

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¿Sabes qué son los desiertos de noticias? Explora los ecosistemas de noticias locales en Argentina, Chile, Colombia, México y Perú

Karen De la Hoz et al.

Fundación Gabo; Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA); Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP); Quinto Elemento Lab; Universidad Diego Portales(UDP), Centro de Investigación y Proyectos Periodísticos (CIP); Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) (2025)

"Los resultados del estudio revelan una crisis estructural del periodismo local. En los cuatro países analizados —Argentina, Chile, México y Perú—, los ecosistemas áridos (desiertos y semidesiertos informativos de noticias locas) superan el 65% del territorio. Es decir, la mayoría de las co ... more

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Reconceptualising Multilingualism on African Radio: Language and Identity
Deep Insights

Limukani Mathe, Gilbert Motsaathebe (eds.)

Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2025), 262 pp.

"This book redefines multilingualism via the concept of radio in Africa. Africa presents unique challenges of lingual diversity which the media still struggles to accommodate, particularly when it comes to indigenous languages. Contributors argue that the linguistic realities of African radio reflec ... more

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Safety of African Journalists: Baseline Survey of Local and Community Journalists in Southern and Eastern Africa

Nechama Brodie

Johannesburg: Wits Centre for Journalism (2025), 12 pp.

"Outside of the occasional inclusion of a handful of prominent South African media cases, African journalism is generally under-represented in studies of journalism practice and safety. Community media in Africa is even more neglected, and is often omitted entirely from consideration despite the pre ... more

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The Critical Role Support Organizations Can Play in Maturing the Local News Field

Anika Anand, Darryl Holliday

Democracy Fund; Commoner Company (2025), 16 pp.

"[...] this report aims to help support organizations foster a shared identity so that, in collaboration with funders and newsmakers, they can execute on our primary recommendation: Create a field-level agenda for the local news field. We recommend a field agenda address at least these four key goa ... ls, which should be refined and expanded through discussion and debate by field leaders. 1. Codify best practices and instruments for assessing community information needs. 2. Make support organizations’ offerings more accessible and navigable while streamlining, consolidating, and strengthening those offerings. 3. Engage in public policy development to generate public funding for newsmakers and shift the narrative on the value of local news. 4. Draw on knowledge from outside the local news field to attract and develop existing talent and leadership who can strengthen business practices and reimagine the role of local news and information for communities. This report draws from the authors’ extensive experience in local news, as well as insights from conversations with 22 local news field leaders and guidance from an advisory council of six people comprising representatives from these organizations. Together, the authors bring more than two decades of combined experience in local news, spanning legacy newsrooms, nonprofit and for-profit news startups, and support organizations. Independently, both have recognized the need for more cohesive field building efforts. Anika Anand has called for more coordination of support organizations and Darryl Holliday co-authored The Roadmap for Local News report. Although this report focuses on establishing a shared identity for support organizations, our research revealed that newsmakers and funders could also benefit from a structured articulation of their respective identities. This is because the effectiveness of support organizations, newsmakers, and funders cannot be evaluated in isolation–their work is deeply interconnected and collectively impacts the health of the local news field. We advocate for further research to help lay a stronger foundation for shared identities across the entire local news ecosystem, ultimately contributing to a more mature local news field." (Page 2) more

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Transforming Crises Into Opportunities: Self-Managed Media in Argentina

Carolina Escudero

Media and Communication, volume 12, issue 7455 (2024), 17 pp.

"The current situation for journalism in Argentina represents a great challenge due to the continuous economic changes linked to inflation and labour precariousness. Faced with this, a phenomenon known as self-managed media has grown over the recent years, also connected to recovered media that prom ... more

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Press Forward: A Guide for Local Funders

Sarah Gustavus Lim, Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Press Forward (2024), 23 pp.

"Press Forward aims to grow the overall investment in local news and strengthen communities across the country over the next five years by focusing on such shared values as equity, accessibility, collaboration and centering community needs. The vision of the founding coalition is to increase resourc ... more

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Interactive Radio Shows and the Role of New Information Brokers in the Republic of Benin

Tilo Grätz

Global Media Journal - German Edition, volume 14, issue 2 (2024), 21 pp.

"This study investigates interactive forms of public communication in the Republic of Benin (West Africa) with a specific focus on the emergence of new media actors. Benin’s media landscape features a variety of media formats, which are constantly incorporating interactive elements. These developm ... more

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Reconnecting Audiences: Understanding the Role of Local Media in Promoting Social Cohesion

Fondation Hirondelle; Institute for Regional Media and Information (IRMI) (2024), 62 pp.

"Key findings: Critical role of local media in addressing specific population needs, compared with national media which is increasingly seen as painting a false picture of reality. Audiences on the frontline feel excluded from national discourse. Ukrainians (57%) use local Telegram channels more tha ... more

The Local News Playbook: Creating Value for a Sustainable Future Deep Insights

Reconceptualising Multilingualism on African Radio: Language and Identity Deep Insights

The Local News Playbook: Creating Value for a Sustainable Future
Deep Insights

Reconceptualising Multilingualism on African Radio: Language and Identity
Deep Insights