Mongabay’s New Africa Bureau: An Inside Look with Director David Akana
Mongabay has just launched its Africa bureau, led by program director David Akana, a seasoned Cameroonian journalist. Akana’s passion for environmental journalism was sparked when he joined a radio project in 2002 that highlighted environmental challenges in the Congo Basin. This led to specialized training and a career focused on the environment.
Akana’s vision for Mongabay Africa is to position it as a leading source of African conservation news, prioritizing high-quality journalism, visual storytelling, and multilingual content distribution. He emphasizes the global significance of African environmental issues, stating that Africa’s response to climate change, biodiversity loss, and governance issues directly impacts the world, making Mongabay Africa’s news relevant to a global audience.
As part of the effort to expand African environmental and conservation news coverage, Mongabay welcomed David Akana as the program director of the recently launched news bureau, Mongabay Africa. David began his journalism career in Cameroon as a writer for The Post Newspaper before transitioning to broadcasting. Over the past 10 years, he has been involved in innovative environmental journalism initiatives and reporting projects in the Congo Basin. Now, as program director, David will oversee and manage Mongabay Africa’s operations in a high-impact leadership role.
In an interview, David Akana shared his journey and vision for Mongabay Africa. He revealed that his interest in environmental issues was sparked in 2002 when he joined a radio project to highlight the environmental challenges of the Congo Basin. This experience led to specialized training at the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya, further propelling his passion for environmental issues.
When asked why he became a journalist, David explained that his path to journalism was a fortunate series of events. He initially aimed to become a bilingual teacher or translator, but higher education reforms in Cameroon introduced a journalism and mass communications program at the University of Buea. This led to his journey in journalism, starting with offering his services to The Post Newspaper free of charge.
Regarding his decision to take the helm of Mongabay Africa, David expressed his admiration for Mongabay’s track record and its impact within the conservation community. He saw it as a compelling challenge to be a part of and an opportunity to shape the future of one of the most important conservation-focused news platforms.
David also discussed the key issues he expects to explore via Mongabay Africa, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the individuals impacted by environmental issues and the thoughtful presentation of narratives. He highlighted the significance of visuals, data, and other forms of graphical representation in their publications.
When asked about his favorite spot in nature, David shared his love for the rich variety of ecosystems in Africa, particularly highlighting Nairobi National Park as a special place that holds a special place in his heart.
David also expressed hope in the resilience of the people of Africa, emphasizing their hardworking and determined nature. He highlighted the innovation and potential of the continent, beyond the negative news stories that dominate the media.
In shaping the environmental journalism landscape in Africa, David emphasized the importance of setting realistic goals and striving to exceed them. He highlighted the potential for independent reporting to address gaps in the current coverage and the importance of capacity building for impactful environmental storytelling in Africa.
Regarding his vision for Mongabay Africa under his leadership, David outlined the commitment to providing outstanding journalism and captivating stories, with a focus on visual storytelling and distribution channels that align with African news consumption patterns.
David also discussed strategies to promote multilingual content, especially in French, emphasizing the need to step up their game in digital news distribution and leverage platforms like WhatsApp to boost Mongabay’s growth in the region.
When asked about the biggest challenges facing environmental journalism in Africa today, David highlighted undemocratic governments and limited human resources as key challenges. He emphasized the potential for Mongabay to address these challenges by enhancing the quality of environmental reports and incorporating data and visuals into conservation reporting.
David also discussed the untapped opportunities for Mongabay in Africa, focusing on the need to highlight conservation solutions, incorporate Indigenous perspectives, and communicate the connection between climate, food systems, and biodiversity in Africa.
In addressing the global audience, David emphasized the significance of Africa’s response to climate change, biodiversity loss, and governance issues, stating that these issues directly impact the world. He highlighted the importance of remaining engaged with these issues, as they are directly linked to the livelihoods of people around the world.
Outside of journalism, David shared his passions for spending time with family, listening to music, dancing to Congolese rhumba, and watching soccer. He also enjoys staying active by running and jogging, covering at least 15 miles every week.
With the launch of Mongabay Africa and David Akana at the helm, the future looks promising for African conservation news and environmental storytelling.