An AI platform wins top MEDIA LOVES TECH prize
Strong reporting and writing fuel strong journalism. But today, journalists also need tech skills and, increasingly, those for AI. For Mohamed Amine Macherki, a software engineer, and Fares Mallouli, a computer science student, both young entrepreneurs from Mahdia and Sfax, such skills are the backbone of DJO. Their startup integrates Tunisian dialects efficiently, quickly and correctly so that journalists can produce reports tailored for their audiences.
This innovation propelled DJO to take the top prize of €10,000 at this year's MEDIA LOVES TECH competition. The annual event is organized by DW Akademie in Tunisia to help incubate and reward media start-ups and projects in the media sector. This year, the competition concluded with the victory of DJO, an artificial intelligence-powered platform that is a tech-driven solution designed to help Tunisian journalists with transcription, translation and content creation.
"We want to offer Tunisian journalists a simple and effective tool capable of handling the local dialects," said Mallouli. "Thanks to AI, we can finally meet this need."
Understanding local needs
In essence, DJO focuses on a persistent challenge in Tunisian media: working effectively with Derja, a local dialect. The platform employs AI to produce seamless transcription and translation services for both audio and text content, while also enhancing radio, podcasting, and archiving capabilities. The goal is ambitious yet practical: DJO helps users understand their data and interact with it meaningfully.
Moreover, the platform's competitive pricing (DJO only costs 500 Tunisian millimes, or approximately 0.15 €, per hour for transcription) makes it accessible to the Tunisian market, while positioning itself as a 100% Tunisian solution with local customer service and flexible features.
According to founder Mallouli, participating in the MEDIA LOVES TECH program was instrumental in refining DJO's approach.
"The incubation phase taught us a lot, especially how to communicate with our customers and identify their problems," said Mallouli.
DJO’s founders also connected with journalists from the SMART MEDIA ACCELERATOR network to validate and adjust their proposal, which strengthened their understanding of market needs.
Jurors praised the relevance and technical quality of DJO’s project.
"DJO successfully combines technological innovation and understanding of local needs," said Jens-Uwe Rahe, DW Akademie’s Head for the Middle East and North Africa, who was in Tunis to present the prize to DJO. "Its solution addresses a concrete challenge for Tunisian newsrooms."
This year's competition was a turning point, as it included an online pre-incubation phase. For three months, 53 teams were able to test and refine their projects using a dedicated platform. The best 17 projects entered the final incubation phase, which allowed them increased support from MEDIA LOVES TECH experts. Four projects ultimately completed the ambitious incubation program.
The prize ceremony was held during "DW Akademie Day Tunis" and was an opportunity to offer workshops led by media outlets, including BE-Syiessah, Blue TN, QLM, MOOM, Tunisia Podcasts, and Yaluna, all of which have benefitted from the SMART MEDIA ACCELERATOR initiative in the past.
At the ceremony, three other finalist projects were showcased:
Sens of Art: both a print cultural magazine and a media platform spotlighting North African artists. Founded by Faten Fellah.
Pinch of Pop!: a bilingual webzine that features music and stories to connect communities beyond divides. Founded by Ahlem Kattab.
Tout Plaquer: a hybrid media concept that provides original content and resources for rethinking one's life. Founded by Bahia Nar.
A growing program
After eight editions, MEDIA LOVES TECH continues to illustrate the benefits of continuity and innovation for new media trying to find both their footing in the industry and dynamic ways to cover the news. The SMART MEDIA ACCELERATOR has been shown to strengthen project quality and supports entrepreneurs as they gather experience and mature in the profession. The program has proven successful at building an independent media ecosystem in Tunisia by fostering expertise, networking and exchange.
Building on this experience, the SMART MEDIA ACCELERATOR will be expanding across the region over the next three years. Starting in 2026, the program will be offered in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya.
Since 2023, both MEDIA LOVES TECH and MEDIA PARCOURS are part of the SMART MEDIA ACCELERATOR, a DW Akademie initiative. Its goal is to identify and support media startups in the prototyping phase and to strengthen already established media. SMART MEDIA ACCELERATOR is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The project collaborates with "On en parle! Tunisie 360°, a project financed by the European Union. The MEDIA LOVES TECH program is developed in cooperation with Al Khatt, a Tunisian organization working for freedom of the press and expression, holding an investigative media (Inkyfada) and a laboratory of ideas on the future of journalism in the digital age.
