Africa’s most senior news editors are meeting in Nairobi for the Africa Editors Congress 2026, as mounting political, economic and technological pressures strain the continent’s media landscape.
Organisers say the forum will confront information integrity, AI value chains and media sustainability in a rapidly shifting global environment.
In a statement released on Sunday ahead of the meeting, organisers said, “The current fluid global challenges are not only hitting the continent of Africa in one sector. Even the media is facing its own mounting stresses.”
It is against this backdrop that The African Editors Forum (TAEF) is convening the Africa Editors Congress (AEC 2026) in Kenya’s capital.
According to the secretariat, “The African Editors Forum (TAEF) will bring together editors, journalism educators, academics, media experts, and specialists from across the continent in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday and Tuesday for the Africa Editors Congress (AEC 2026).”
The high-level Congress is expected to assemble influential voices from across Africa’s media ecosystem.
Organisers say it “will convene Africa's most influential editors, media executives, policymakers, and global partners, providing a unique platform for strategic conversation about the future of journalism and media leadership on the continent at a moment of profound political, economic, and technological changes.”
Beyond speeches and panel discussions, the gathering is being framed as a working forum aimed at shaping tangible outcomes.
“The Congress will go beyond panels and speeches, as it is designed as a working forum where decision-makers interrogate power, influence public policy debates, and shape collective positions on issues that directly affect Africa's democratic health, information integrity, media sustainability, and African agency, particularly within global tech ecosystems.”
A key priority will be Africa’s role in the global technology value chain. The organisers emphasised that a clear focus will be placed on securing African agency in AI value chains and ensuring equitable value extraction from Africa's rare minerals and extractives that fuel global technology.
The theme of the Congress, they added, is anchored in global commitments. It “is deliberately anchored in the shared global priorities articulated in the Johannesburg Declaration, particularly its urgent call to action on strengthening information integrity and securing media sustainability against the backdrop of platform dominance.”
Organisers say discussions will not shy away from difficult questions. “The discussions will be candid, informed by evidence, and grounded in real newsroom and market pressures.”
For senior newsroom leaders, the event offers a rare opportunity for peer engagement.
“For senior editors and executives, the Congress will offer peer-to-peer engagement with those who set editorial direction, manage risks, and make strategic investment decisions in a rapidly shifting media environment.”
TAEF describes itself as a continental network of editors, senior newsroom leaders, and media executives committed to strengthening independent journalism and advancing media freedom across Africa.
The forum says it works to promote ethical standards, defend press freedom, deepen professional solidarity, and support editorial innovation in response to the evolving political, economic, and technological landscape shaping the continent.
Through convenings such as the Africa Editors Congress, TAEF says it provides a platform for dialogue on journalism's role in democracy, development, and African agency in emerging domains.
It also champions fair compensation for journalism as a public good, newsroom resilience in the digital age, and collaborative responses to threats facing journalists and media organisations.
In positioning itself as a collective voice, TAEF states that it “serves as a collective voice for Africa's editors, advancing a journalism culture rooted in independence, public interest, and lasting excellence.”
As the Congress opens in Nairobi, organisers are signalling that the stakes extend beyond media houses to the broader democratic fabric of the continent.
With debates expected to centre on information integrity, sustainability and Africa’s place within global tech systems, participants will be seeking to chart a coordinated path forward for journalism in an era of rapid change.
