Book Launch - "African Muckraking - 75 Years of Investigative Journalism from Africa" by Prof Anya Schiffrin
On May 8th 2018, Prof. Anya Schiffrin – The Director of Technology, Media and Communication Specialization at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, launched her book “African Muckraking – 75 Years of Investigative Journalism from Africa” at the Aga Khan Graduate School of Media in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was well attended by notable Kenyan journalists like; Linus Kaikai, John-Allan Namu, Catherine Kasavuli and Catherine Gicheru among others. The event featured a panel of speakers who spoke on investigative journalism in Kenya and also addressed questions from the audience.
The book features a collection of stories about stories that highlight investigative journalism in Africa. Works that have been highlighted are those by Fatooma Noor (Kenya), Catherine Gicheru (Kenya), Mae Azango (Liberia), Peter Kimani (Kenya), Rafael Marques (Angola), Tom Maliti (Kenya) and Carlos Cardoso (Mozambique) – among other legendary African journalists.
The book is categorized into subjects that matter to the African audience. These are; Struggle for Independence, Conflict, Corruption, Health, Women, Rural Affairs, Human Rights, Oil and Mining and the Environment.
To sustain investigative journalism, Prof Schiffrin highlighted some important measures;
- Overcoming dependence on donor funding as key to long-term sustainability
- Considering social media as a viable platform to solicit and report stories
- Recognizing that African muckraking is changing societies, it can no longer be ignored as it has fostered new powerful partnerships across countries.
The book is available locally at Prestige bookstore and on the web at amazon.com
