Facebook has partnered with Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communication (GSMC) to launch the Video Journalism Fellowship. This is geared to bolster digital skills in journalism and to increase the production of Kenyan stories captured through high quality video.
The six month program is aimed at training Kenyan storytellers on digital mobile journalism and attaching them to local newsrooms.
“Mobile journalism is a growing form of new media and it is the future, owing to its portable nature and affordability,” Dr Awiti, Interim Dean at GSMC said. “There is a huge audience on digital platforms due to high mobile usage in Kenya. We are excited to launch this program with Facebook, which will sharpen the skills of journalists who are creating and disseminating information, making them responsible users of information.”
Aga Khan University will perform a rigorous application process for people who will apply for The Video Journalism Fellowship. This will see 15 fellows selected for the first cohort of the program. They will also be placed as paid staff in Kenyan newsrooms where they will be tasked with producing mobile and video stories alongside participating in boot camps and workshops designed by GSMC. Facebook will also support the program by providing regular trainings on audience engagement, Community Standards and Best Practices for Monetization on Facebook.
This fellowship will open for applicants in January 2020 and the program will commence in February 2020.
This sounds like an incredible opportunity for the lucky 15 that will be chosen to be trained in mobile news video production in Kenya. We have seen a shift in how news is produced and disseminated in the last decade and such an initiative will make that the norm rather than an option.
