Jack McBrams along with fellow KAS media award 2026 winners
* The article; ‘the-elephant-invasion-how-a-historic-elephant- translocation unleashed death, hunger, and heartbreak among Kasungu villagers’, was published by Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) on May 11
* It bowled over the KAS Media Awards 2026 Jury, who described it as: “Real conservation should mean coexistence — not conquest.”
By Duncan Mlanjira
The article that celebrated journalist Jack McBrams published on Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) that exposed a man-made wildlife-human conflict due to the 2022 ill-planned elephant translocation from Liwonde to Kasungu, has earned him the prestigious sub-Saharan African Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) media award 2026.
Advertisement
The KAS Media Awards celebrates bold, courageous journalism from across Africa and McBrams, a seasoned Malawi journalist with multiple accolades to his name — both local and international — is amongst two other winners; Cynthia Gichiri (Africa Uncensored in Kenya) and Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu (Hum Angle Media, Nigeria).
McBrams article; ‘the-elephant-invasion-how-a-historic-elephant- translocation unleashed death, hunger, and heartbreak among Kasungu villagers’, published by PIJ on May 11 bowled over the KAS Media Awards 2026 Jury, who described as: “Real conservation should mean coexistence — not conquest.”
“The writings of Jack McBrams exemplify the most authentic traditions of long-form investigative print journalism,” says the Jury. “This 2,000-plus-word piece weaves together survivor testimony, most hauntingly that of Kannock Phiri, whose wife and infant child were killed by elephants and several other harrowing experiences, alongside internal documents, on-the-ground reporting, and institutional responses, to construct a narrative that is both rigorously evidenced and deeply human.
“Through intimate, character-driven storytelling, the journalist centres ordinary lives, farmers, parents, children — allowing readers to witness how global conservation decisions unfold in kitchens, maize fields, and village paths.
“The careful use of scene-setting that literally transports one to the villages in Kasungu, restrained language, and verified detail transforms statistics into lived reality, without sensationalism or the exploitation of grief.
“McBrams masterfully juxtaposes celebratory international imagery with the quiet devastation experienced by affected communities, exposing power imbalances, interrogating accountability, and restoring dignity to voices too often excluded from policy and donor narratives.
“This work stands as print journalism at its most authentic form: patient, courageous, ethically grounded, and unwavering in its commitment to truth in service of the public good,” analysises the KAS Media Awards 2026 Jury.
The KAS Media Awards, organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Regional Media Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa, celebrates excellence in local reporting — recognising journalists whose work highlights community realities and connects them to broader issues.
On Kenyan Cynthia Gichiri documentary; ‘The Seed Syndicate: The Battle to Control What Kenyan Farmers Can Plant’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTt0TNBdT6s), the Jury said: “Seed Syndicate, a meticulous year-long investigation by Africa Uncensored and her author Cynthia Gichiri, is a great piece of investigative journalism.
“The report uncovers how one heavily manicured law systematically marginalizes and criminalizes smallholder farmers. The story also discloses malpractices by plant breeders who ‘rebrand’ naturally occurring crops for profit and has already sparked a national dialogue on food rights and a more inclusive and protective legislation.
Nigerian Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu’s report; ‘a-robbery-incident-killed-his-wife-and-unravelled-his-whole-life’ the Jury said: “There are some stories, even great stories, that one reads and immediately forgets. And then there are the stories that stay with you, that you think about days, weeks or even months later.
“Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu’s fascinating and heartbreaking profile of Modu Baraka — a trader in north-eastern Nigeria whose life was unraveled by a robbery — is in the latter category.”
McBrams’ report, captured after visiting communities that were affected by the translocation that was supposed to support biodiversity efforts and ensure the prosperity of local communities living around Kasungu National Park; malawis-wildlife-translocation-completed-263-elephants-and-431-additional-wildlife-find-new-habitat-in-kasungu-national-park-from-liwonde/, came about after the elephant-human conflict attracted international attention through a lawsuit-filed-against-ifaw-seeking-compensation-for-victims-of-elephant-translocation-from-liwonde-to-kasungu-national-parks/ that was filed in the United Kingdom.
The lawsuit targeted organisers of the translocation, Malawi’s Department of National Parks & Wildlife in partnership with African Parks and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The IFAW defended itself, saying fired-employee-labuschagne-behind-the-smear-campaign-of-ifaws-partnership-in-malawi-over-the-translocation-of-the-elephants.
Thus PIJ put its boots the ground through McBrams, whose findings revealed many hidden aspects of relocation that was supposed to have been executed after investing in a robust and secure perimeter fence throughout its boundaries — including the border with Zambia, whose communities were also affected with elephant invasions.
