The Africa Media Festival (AMF), a continental platform for media leaders, journalists and digital creators, is set to convene in Nairobi media leaders, editors, creators and policymakers to find practical solutions to challenges facing journalism across the continent.
Organised by Nairobi-based Baraza Media Lab, the media festival will be held on February 25–26 with over 500 participants from across Africa and beyond.
This year’s gathering comes at a time when African newsrooms are grappling with shrinking revenues, tighter regulatory environments and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence driven content.
Organisers said the festival will focus on practical responses to these pressures, including discussions on sustainability, innovation, policy frameworks and the expanding creator economy.
Held under the theme “Resilient Storytelling: Reimagining Media Freedom,” the event aims to reposition Africa’s media sector as a driver of new approaches to storytelling and public interest journalism. “AMF is not a ceremonial conference. It is a space where Africa’s media leaders come together to confront hard truths and co-create solutions that can sustain journalism for the next generation,” said Martie Mtange, curator at Baraza Media Lab.
A major highlight of the festival will be the Africa Media Awards (AMA), an independent recognition platform delivered in partnership with The Africa Editors Forum and Journalists for Human Rights.
The 2026 edition will introduce a “Creator for Good Award,” reflecting the growing influence of digital creators in shaping public discourse and driving social change.
Confirmed speakers include Will Church of Thomson Reuters, Joy Lusige of ZDF, Francesca Ekondaho of the Pulitzer Center and Anita Eboigbe of Big Cabal Media. Organisers said the festival’s steady growth underscores its relevance at a critical moment for African journalism, as media practitioners seek new models to protect editorial independence while adapting to technological change.