Local and international leaders will examine innovative business solutions re-shaping and contributing to the future of media and journalism both in Africa and globally.
The Forum is co-hosted by M. Scott Havens, CEO, Bloomberg Media and Matthew Winkler, editor-in-chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News, and Erana Stennett, corporate philanthropy Middle East and Africa, Bloomberg.
“Against the backdrop of a fragmented global media landscape and challenges to business models at both a local and global level, this forum provides an opportunity for fresh approaches, ideas and solutions to building sustainable media business models in Africa and beyond,” says Havens.
“ABMI comes at a time of growing optimism around Africa’s economic potential and aims to act as a platform for action to catalyse investment, growth, and development by contributing to the strengthening of business and financial reporting on the continent,” adds Winkler.
This year’s convening focuses on the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of media in Africa. Key themes to be explored include the impact of new technologies, AI, and the future shape of work in newsrooms, along with a focus on the sustainability of legacy media across the continent against the backdrop of increased global competition.
There will also be an analysis of the current state of the media landscape in Africa and globally.
Speakers at this year’s forum include:
The annual event is a component of the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA), a pan-African programme launched by Michael R. Bloomberg in 2014.
The initiative is designed to advance business journalism in Africa and accelerate the development of a globally competitive media and financial reporting industry.
The programme delivers cross-disciplinary educational programmes and mid-career fellowships to increase the number of highly trained business and financial journalists as well as supports research to stimulate new media innovations.
It is also designed to convene leaders to promote interactive dialogue and build strong relationships to enhance the quality of financial coverage and the availability of reliable and timely data on the continent.
This sixth edition of the forum follows successful gatherings in Senegal (2019), Zambia (2018), Ghana (2017), Kenya (2016), South Africa (2015), the inaugural host of ABMI in 2015.
With virtual ‘ABMI Chats’ series held in 2020 and 2021, this year sees the return of the Forum in person since 2019.
