The Director of Programmes at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Akintunde Babatunde, has been selected for the prestigious Poynter Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) Fellowship for 2025.
This placed Mr Babatunde among an elite cohort of 32 senior media executives worldwide, selected for their outstanding contributions to journalism and their commitment to advancing media transformation and sustainability. Mr Babatunde is the second African to join the programme after the PREMIUM TIMES publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi, who was the inaugural African fellow of the programme in 2023.
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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. Since 2007, the programme has equipped more than 400 executives with critical tools and insights, building a vibrant community dedicated to strengthening journalism globally.
For the 2025 cohort of the fellowship, Mr Babatunde joins a distinguished and diverse group of leaders from global newsrooms, nonprofits, and innovative startups. Other fellows on the list are the CEO of Religion News Foundation, Deborah Caldwell; Deputy Culture Editor, The New York Times (AAJA Fellow), Barbara Chai; Controller, BBC World Service, Fiona Crack; Editor-in-Chief, Documented (Knight Fellow), Ethar El-Katatney; President & Co-Founder, The Intercept Brasil, Andrew Fishman; Senior Director of Consulting Services, News Revenue Hub (Knight Fellow), Abby Gingras; Senior Director, Nonprofit Intelligence, Chronicle of Philanthropy; Margie Glennon, and Vice President, Global Safety, Risk and Resilience, The Associated Press, Mark Grant.
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“The 2025 fellows are a rich blend of some of the largest media brands in the world, cutting-edge nonprofits and media network support organisations,” Poynter Institute said in a statement.
Mr Babatunde said he was deeply honoured to join the Poynter Media Transformation Challenge Fellowship alongside so many accomplished leaders from around the world. “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 other fellows and leverage the tools and knowledge from this programme to drive innovation and sustainability in the journalism sector, particularly in Africa,” Mr Babatunde said.
The Executive Director of the Media Transformation Challenge, Charlie Baum, said the institute is “thrilled to welcome Akintunde Babatunde into our MTC Fellowship.”
Mr Baum added: “Akintunde’s 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. Akintunde’s vision aligns perfectly with the goals of the MTC programme, and we look forward to supporting him in advancing his mission and tackling the challenges facing journalism today.”
About Akintunde Babatunde
The Poynter MTC Fellowship is the latest in a series of prestigious fellowships that Mr Babatunde has earned. His selection into the MTC Fellowship further acknowledges his leadership in advancing the media landscape across Africa, particularly through his work at CJID.
Since joining the CJID, Mr Babatunde has managed more than a dozen international projects across countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Cameroon, Chad, Congo DR, Niger, Senegal, and Mozambique. Notably, he has led the centre’s DUBAWA initiative – Nigeria’s first indigenous fact-checking platform now in 8 African countries. He led the UDEME social accountability project at the centre and also pioneered the creation of the Natural Resource and Climate Change Reporting and Research Unit (NAREP) of the Centre. Most recently he has been the driving force behind the Digital Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Disorder Analysis arm (DAIDAC) of CJID.
In 2019, Mr Babatunde was announced as a UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Ambassador for Africa. He is also a 2020 recipient of the UK Government Chevening Scholarship where he studied Media Practice for Development and Social Change at the University of Sussex and graduated with distinction.
Mr Babatunde’s global reach was further extended in 2022 when he was selected as a US Government Mandela Washington Fellow at the Presidential Precinct in Virginia, USA. These milestones reflect his ongoing commitment to excellence in media innovation and development for democratic accountability in Africa.
At CJID, Mr Babatunde has implemented over 30 media innovation projects with funding support from the biggest donors and technology companies around the world including the MacArthur Foundation, Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundation, Luminate, UNESCO, Google, Meta and Tiktok.
A sought-after speaker and trainer, Mr Babatunde has trained over 5,000 journalists and researchers across 13 African countries and his work, articles and commentary have been featured in notable global forums such as the European Parliament, the New York Times Climate Hub, the University of London, and the Presidential Precinct.
The MTC Fellowship at Poynter will allow Mr Babatunde 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.
About the Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a global nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing journalism and addressing the most pressing issues facing the media industry. Through its initiatives, Poynter equips journalists and organisations with the skills and strategies needed to build sustainable operations, promote public trust, and support press freedom worldwide.
About Media Transformation Challenge (MTC)
The Media Transformation Challenge is a vibrant community of practice supporting media leaders through its Fellowship Programme, Alumni Network, and Support Services. MTC empowers leaders to develop innovative solutions, sustain impactful journalism, and reinforce democratic values.
