Akintunde Babatunde, the director of programmes at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), has been named a fellow in the Poynter media transformation challenge (MTC) for 2025.
Babatunde is among the 32 senior media executives worldwide selected for their outstanding contributions to journalism and commitment to advancing media transformation and sustainability.
Charlie Baum, executive director of the MTC, said in a statement that Akintunde’s vision aligns with the programme’s goals.
“We are thrilled to welcome Akintunde Babatunde into our MTC Fellowship. His dedication to journalism and his innovative work in the areas of fact-checking, social accountability, and climate reporting have set him apart as a leader in the media industry,” the statement reads.
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“Akintunde’s vision aligns perfectly with the goals of the MTC program, and we look forward to supporting him in advancing his mission and tackling the challenges facing journalism today.”
“The MTC Fellowship at Poynter will allow Akintunde to further explore innovative solutions to the critical challenges facing the media landscape and equip him with the tools to expand his impact across Africa and beyond.”
Before his selection for the fellowship, Babatunde was a fellow of the Mandela Washington Young African Leaders programme.
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In 2019, he was announced as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) media and information literacy (MIL) ambassador for Africa.
Babatunde was awarded a Chevening scholarship by the United Kingdom (UK) government in 2020 to study media practice for development and social change at the University of Sussex.
As programme director at CJID, Babatunde has spearheaded conferences and presentations in more than 13 countries on cutting-edge topics like media innovation, AI, climate change, and sustainable development.
He is the second African to join the programme after Dapo Olorunyomi, the publisher of Premium Times, who was the inaugural African fellow in 2023.
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“I am deeply honoured to join the Poynter media transformation challenge fellowship alongside so many accomplished leaders from around the world,” Babatunde said.
“This fellowship provides an incredible opportunity to strengthen the work we’re doing at CJID and to learn from the best in the field.
“As we navigate an ever-changing media landscape, I’m eager to collaborate with my fellows and leverage the tools and knowledge from this program to drive innovation and sustainability in the journalism sector, particularly in Africa.”
The MTC fellowship is a yearlong programme at the renowned Poynter Institute, designed to empower media leaders to tackle significant business performance challenges, foster innovation, and drive systemic change within their organisations.
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