AI Journalism Innovation Fellowship

• Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be based in one of the following Southern African countries: Namibia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Eswatini, or Lesotho. Must be at least 21 years old and hold a valid passport. Applicants must be supported by their newsroom or organisation.
  Must demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical journalism and public service values. Must be available for in-person travel to Windhoek, Namibia (26–30 January 2026) and for virtual programme activities. Eligible entities include newsrooms, civil-society organisations, fact-checking groups, information providers, and community media platforms engaged in journalistic work.
• Type of Funding: Fellowship programme providing financial support, training, mentorship and access to a regional innovation community.
• Target Region: Journalists and media organisations from Southern Africa (Namibia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Eswatini, Lesotho).
• Application Language: Not explicitly stated, but applications are typically submitted in English for DW Akademie programmes.

Objectives

• To advance public service journalism through responsible and innovative uses of artificial intelligence.
• To support the development of ethical, practical and impactful AI solutions for newsrooms.
• To strengthen audience engagement, newsroom efficiency, and the credibility of information using AI.
• To build a regional community of media innovators committed to transparency, truth and public interest journalism.

Project Themes

• AI-driven tools or processes for journalism (machine learning, generative AI, natural language processing).
• Audience-serving AI applications that improve access to reliable information.
• Newsroom efficiency solutions (automation, data processing, workflows).
• Strengthening accuracy, transparency and public trust using AI.
• Human-centred design methodologies applied to journalism and technology.

Financial Support: €4,000 fellowship grant for project development and implementation.

Deadline: 23 November 2025

See here to learn more and apply

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