Media Training for Africa: Is China Exporting its Journalism?

Image: Flickr, World Tourism Organization
Image: Flickr, World Tourism Organization

As part of its growing engagement in the African media sector, China leads training courses for African journalists.

This has sparked debate in recent years, with some noting that China is ranked at the bottom of press freedom indices. This policy brief reports the results of a one-month field study in Uganda involving interviews with local journalists who attended Chinese training programs for African journalists. These interviews provide insight into the purpose and goals of the training programs, their possible impact on African journalistic practices, and the overall implications on freedom of the press and democracy in Africa.

The views expressed in this publication/article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).

1 Jan 2016