* ‘Images of My Journalism Story’ offers a rich historical account of Malawian journalism alongside forward-looking insights into modern media trends like artificial intelligence and digital publishing
* The journey to the book’s publication was an extraordinary tale of discovery as the manuscript was presumed lost following Mang’anda’s passing
By Brenda Nkosi, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
The legacy of one of Malawi’s foundational media figures, Grey Mang’anda, was permanently etched into the country’s literary and academic archives as his posthumous autobiography, ‘Images of My Journalism Story’, was officially launched in Blantyre on Thursday.
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Authored by the late veteran journalist, media pioneer, and academic before his death in 2022, the book offers a rich historical account of Malawian journalism alongside forward-looking insights into modern media trends like artificial intelligence and digital publishing.
Chairperson of the launch taskforce, Thom Khanje, said the journey to the book’s publication was an extraordinary tale of discovery as the manuscript was presumed lost following Mang’anda’s passing.
“When he passed, the family couldn’t find the manuscript on his laptop,” said Khanje. “Four years down the line, a friend of Grey came forward with a copy he had been holding onto, wondering why the book hadn’t been published yet.”
Khanje said upon receiving the script, a dedicated task force-working alongside academics and media veterans like Dr. Zeleza Manda and Dr. Jolly Ntaba, among others, swiftly organised its publication within five months, supported by sponsors including Gazette Media, Majestic Lodge, and Lab20.
“You cannot mention journalism in Malawi without mentioning Grey Mang’anda,” Khanje emphasised, highlighting Mang’anda’s role as a pioneer of independent media-co-founding early publications alongside late Edward Chitsulo and establishing journalism as an academic discipline at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) formerly The Polytechnic.
Late Mang’anda
MUBAS Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Associate Prof. Ishmael Kossam, described Mang’anda as a ‘beacon of quality and excellence’ whose legacy shaped generations of media practitioners.
“To academia, a book is a bank of knowledge,” he said. “This book will transform how we think and practice media and journalism at this institution and globally.
“It showcases the professional touch that will help grow the field,” said Kossam — while emphasising that Mang’anda’s work captures both the historical foundations of the trade and the core theories that guide modern media development.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mang’anda’s first-born daughter, Mwai Mang’anda-Nyasulu, reflected on the experience of seeing her father’s life documented for future generations.
“It’s hard to put into words. We’re proud, we’re humbled, but listening to other people describe how he impacted their lives gives us a whole new lens to see him.
“It is amazing to learn about him through other people,” said Nyasulu and when asked how the family remembers the late media legend at home, she smiled: “Stubborn, funny, sarcastic-but always teaching.”
Images of My Journalism Story is now available for scholars, journalists, and the public at K60,000 serving as a lasting guidebook to the history and future of Malawian journalism.
Between 1999 and 2012, Mang’anda worked as a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at MUBAS serving as the Dean of Education and Media Studies in the process.
In 2013, Mang’anda acted as Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Civic Education where he also served as the Director of Information.
He also worked as Chief of Protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Until his death, Mang’anda was the Dean of Academics and Lecturer in Journalism at the Blantyre International University (BIU).
He will be remembered for providing excellent academic leadership and being one of the pioneers of journalism studies at the University level in Malawi.
Mang’anda believed in professional and quality journalism and taught many to always aim for the best.—Edited by Duncan Mlanjira; Maravi Express
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