In May this year The Conversation Africa will launch from a base in Johannesburg. TC-Africa will be the fourth TC edition to launch after Australia in 2011, UK (2013), and US (2014).
The launch of the African site is part of a long-term goal to create a global network of trusted content that draws on the expertise of academics and researchers worldwide to inform public debate, explain complex problems and collaborate on developing solutions.
The team of 10 in Africa will be led by former editor of the Financial Mail, Caroline Southey, along with a general manager, Alexandra Storey. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Witwatersrand, Adam Habib, has provided the Newsroom base.
The team will work with academics across Africa to bring informed expertise to a global audience.
Funding for TC-Africa has come from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the South African National Research Foundation, and the Miami-based Knight Foundation.
Once established, TC-Africa will also seek to launch hubs in Nairobi and Lagos. TC-Africa will work closely with the Australian, UK and US sites, sharing content and ideas.
TC-Africa will follow The Conversation’s strict editorial protocols that are designed to rebuild trust in information and help readers make informed decisions. These include a charter that protects editorial independence, protocols that give authors the right of final approval on all articles, and disclosure statements to alert readers to any potential conflict of interest.
See announcement from South Africa: The Conversation to launch in Africa under former FM editor Caroline Southey.