New media: Varsity, Facebook partner in training

The Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) has partnered with Facebook to launch the Video Journalism Fellowship.

The initiative seeks to bolster digital skills in journalism to increase the production of Kenyan stories captured through high-quality mobile video.

During the fellowship, GSMC will offer the mobile and video storytellers training for six months on digital mobile journalism before they go for attachment in local newsrooms.

GSMC Interim Dean Alex Awiti said it will contribute to the sustainability and growth of digital journalism, in an environment where use of smartphones has been on a steady increase over the last decade.

“Mobile journalism is a growing form of new media and it is the future, owing to its portable nature and affordability. There is a huge audience on digital platforms due to high mobile usage in Kenya,” Dr Awiti said at the launch of the programme.

Facebook’s Strategic Partner Manager, Media Partnerships, Africa Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy said: “By working together with publishers and training institutions around the world, the Facebook Journalism Project seeks to help strengthen communities by connecting people with meaningful journalism,”

Storytellers who apply to the fellowship will be selected by the university through a rigorous process, which will see 15 fellows selected for the first cohort of the programme.

Facebook will also support the programme by providing training on audience engagement, community standards and best practices for monetisation on Facebook. Applications for the fellowship will open in January 2020, with the programme commencing in February 2020.