Africa's future is young — by 2025, 25% of the global population will be African and mostly youth. The news and media must reflect and prioritise that future, not the stereotypical narratives that still dominate global coverage of the continent.
S3 · Intervention 6 of 6
Shifting Narratives.
Community-centred newsrooms packaging African stories for global youth audiences.
- S6
- Of 6 pillars
- 3
- Active projects
- 3
- Concrete deliverables
- 1
- Featured initiatives
The challenge we’re fixing
Africa is reported on by others; the continent's own youth-led narratives rarely reach scale.
Our approach
How Narratives works.
Through Switch Africa, Minority Africa, and HashTime, MCI produces stories that lead culture — solutions journalism, long-form, and youth-led formats designed to be talked about, not just published.
When young African journalists tell African stories on the platforms young people actually live on, public narrative shifts — and with it, identity, power, and possibility.
Switch Africa is our flagship narrative-shift platform: a community-centred social newsroom and movement, packaging African stories on digital platforms by young journalists for fellow young people globally.
3 projects delivering this work.
FeaturedSwitch Africa
Investing in Africa's network of young journalists and media creators — packaging African stories on digital platforms by young journalists for fellow young people globally.
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Minority Africa
A continent-wide newsroom amplifying minority and under-served communities across Africa.
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HashTime
Digital-first media content in social media-native formats for youth.
Read moreWhy Narratives works.
Narratives sharpened the way our newsroom thinks about its craft. The cohort kept us honest, and the mentorship built lasting habits.
What MCI gets right with Narratives is treating fundamentals as a system — not a one-off workshop. That's why it sticks.
Funders see Narratives graduates produce credible journalism within months. That's the bar.
I came in unsure I belonged in a newsroom. Narratives gave me the tools, networks, and confidence to lead my own.
Frequently asked questions.
Community-centred newsrooms packaging African stories for global youth audiences. We accept journalists, students, and newsroom leaders who fit this profile and are ready to commit to a full cohort cycle.
Each cohort has its own application window. Most projects under Narratives link to a dedicated landing page or form — see the project cards below. For partnership enquiries, use the CTA at the bottom of this page.
MCI's flagship cohorts are funded — participants do not pay tuition. Some specialised tracks may carry materials fees, which are stated on each project page.
The 6S Model is interlocking by design. Narratives feeds into every other pillar — and is in turn supported by them. Use the "Continue exploring" cards below to see neighbouring interventions.
Support Narratives
Help us scale shifting narratives.
Community-centred newsrooms packaging African stories for global youth audiences.