Communiqué and Gatefield launch visual journalism fellowship for political accountability

Gatefield, a public strategy and advocacy organization through its People Journalism Fund, and Communiqué, a media company and advisory firm focused on Africa’s creative economy, have combined to launch a visual storytelling fellowship for 10 young Nigerian journalists.

With support from the National Endowment for Democracy, Washington, DC, the fellowship will empower Nigeria’s next generation of independent journalists that bring the country’s democracy into focus.

The journalists began the program by participating in a three-day intensive boot camp through which they were taught the fundamentals of visual storytelling using examples from international newsrooms such as NPR, PBS, Vox, and The Verge.

The boot camp, hosted in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, was designed to launch the journalists into a six-month fellowship with wearegst, Gatefield’s social impact journalism platform. The boot camp was hosted by Communiqué Academy, the company’s talent development arm. During the fellowship, the journalists will develop a series of video essays that address pertinent issues in Nigeria’s political, economic, and sociocultural landscape.

Adewunmi Emoruwa, founder and CEO of Gatefield, said, “Our democracy depends on fearless, informed voices willing to ask tough questions. This fellowship is about building a new wave of young journalists that go beyond traditional reporting. Over the next six months, fellows will craft compelling visual narratives that bring Nigeria’s political realities into sharp focus – challenging power, spotlighting corruption, and safeguarding democracy.”

Gatefield designed the boot camp in partnership with Communiqué, which has been building talent development programs that have impacted tens of young media professionals since 2022. Communiqué Academy will mentor and provide ongoing support for the journalists during the fellowship.

David Adeleke, founder of Communiqué, said, “The work we have done with this boot camp and the movement we have kickstarted are extremely important. For many years, journalistic training programs have focused heavily on textual reporting. But the world as we know it has changed, and most people now consume news and other content via audiovisual means. That’s why we felt it necessary to hold this boot camp and the fellowship that follows.”

Gatefield’s People Journalism Fund has invested more than $100,000 in recent years in supporting social impact journalism, through grants, prizes, and fellowships. In 2020, the Nigerian government froze the Fund’s account for supporting #EndSARS reporting, highlighting Gatefield’s commitment to bold, fearless journalism.

The visual journalism fellows will receive an honorarium to produce impactful stories that resonate with Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

About Gatefield
Gatefield is a public strategy firm focused on driving social change across Africa. Gatefield has influenced change in several sectors by applying behavioral insights to telling human-angle stories and building coalitions. It has significant experience in advocacy, behavioral change, stakeholder mobilization, content production and capacity building with specific expertise in the international development sector. In February 2020, Gatefield instituted the biggest private-sector-backed public service journalism initiative to reward journalists and citizen reporters in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

About Communiqué
Communiqué (CMQ Media), founded in 2020, is a media company and advisory firm building knowledge products for Africa’s creative economy. Its work spans media, entertainment, technology, and creative entrepreneurship. Communiqué’s operations include media, consulting, events, and talent development, where its Communiqué Academy sits. Visit www.cmqmedia.xyz for more information.