The Covid-19 crisis has proved that the public interest media plays a vital role in a constructive dialogue in our societies. The hunger for information vis-à-vis the amount of misinformation and disinformation has never been so high in modern history. Today’s news cycle is a continually evolving information ecosystem in which even a single voice can reach a global audience.
Media, therefore, is more crucial than ever for explaining our complex world, fact-check information and holding the powerful to account. At the same time, the press faces existential challenges.
The media sector needs new ideas to deal with the myriad problems to which there are no simple answers.
The EAST Site (East African StoryTelling site) is an ongoing conversation by the brightest minds on how to innovate for Media Viability in East Africa.
We are convinced: Every crisis brings new opportunities.
Despite the many challenges, we are living in a golden age of rethinking the core ideas of journalism.
The vision of the EAST Site is empowering communities through reinventing storytelling and journalism. The possibilities of digital technologies and the fact that talented people can team up easily can accelerate the building up of a whole new generation of media practitioners and innovators.
Be part of the EAST community!
If you share our vision about quality journalism and media innovation, we invite you to:
Click here to be part of the EAST adventure.
Sessions and Content can be offered in spheres including and related to the following:
Digital Storytelling – Innovator Mindset – Community building – Understanding the Media Ecosystem -Business and Organizational Development for media
Who is behind the EAST Site?
The EAST Site is a project by the Aga Khan University Media Innovation Centre (MiC) in Kenya, DW Akademie (DWA), Media Challenge Initiative (MCI) in Uganda and Tanzania Media Foundation.
Our motto is SHARE – LEARN – INNOVATE. We believe in the power of collaboration.
The idea was created when the four partners planned to organise the first EAST Africa Storytelling Festival (EAST) in Kampala, Uganda. The event intended to bring together the smartest minds on media innovation in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Storytellers of all kinds from across the region were meant to meet, explore, and discover new ways of journalism. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic came and stopped public life – there was no option but to postpone the festival. In the spirit of innovation, the MiC, DWA, and MCI developed the idea of the EAST-site – a virtual meet up space for media innovators and storytellers in East Africa.
