Journalism Training

Based principally on verbal data collected through interviews with journalists, journalism educationists, journalist trainers, and curriculum analysis, this study notes some progress made in the field of Malawian journalism since independence. However, it argues that despite the welcome increase in the number of journalism and communication qualifications offered by public and private journalism training colleges in Malawi, the quality of the output is still lackluster. This is overwhelmingly because practical skills courses are taught inadequately, haphazardly and theoretically due, partly, to inadequate human and material resources and lack of a national policy to guide the formation of journalists. It recommends that to improve the quality and relevance of journalistic output, Malawi should draft and publish a journalism education and training policy to guide all journalism training colleges. It also recommends that training colleges should partner with the industry, multilateral...

Bu çalışmanın üzerinde durduğu nokta iletişim/gazetecilik eğitimi veren fakültelerde insan hakları ve demokrasi eğitiminin yeridir. Konunun belirlenmesinde etkili olan unsur ise demokrasi ve insan hakları konusundaki çarpıklıkları ve ihlalleri ortaya çıkarması gereken medyanın bizzat kendisinin insan hakları ihlalcisi durumuna düşmesidir. Egemen yapılarla eklemlenmiş bir medya insan haklarının temsili noktasında yetersiz kalmakta, hatta toplumda görülen ‘eşitsiz’ konumları derinleştirmektedir.

While media assistance boomed in the 1990s, few of the so-called “media missionaries” stopped to do the grunt work: monitoring and evaluation. Since then, donors and implementers in the media assistance field have shown a growing appreciation for the importance of M&E, and it is now no longer an afterthought. The media assistance community now values the practice as an essential part of any project, starting even before a program’s launch. While no two organizations in the sector have precisely the same M&E terminology and methods, they do share a number of tools, techniques and approaches. This report argues that they could share much more.

Based principally on verbal data collected through interviews with journalists, journalism educationists, journalist trainers, and curriculum analysis, this study notes some progress made in the field of Malawian journalism since independence. However, it argues that despite the welcome increase in the number of journalism and communication qualifications offered by public and private journalism training colleges in Malawi, the quality of the output is still lackluster. This is overwhelmingly because practical skills courses are taught inadequately, haphazardly and theoretically due, partly, to inadequate human and material resources and lack of a national policy to guide the formation of journalists. It recommends that to improve the quality and relevance of journalistic output, Malawi should draft and publish a journalism education and training policy to guide all journalism training colleges. It also recommends that training colleges should partner with the industry, multilateral organizations with interest in communication and media development, government departments and NGOs not only for industrial attachment but also for these to sponsor communication and journalism training programmes. Partner institutions should consider procuring training materials and assets for the training institutions. The study further recommends that partner institutions need to consider sponsoring academic staff for higher education in journalism and media studies.

The formation of customary international law has long been criticized for its lack of a clear methodology, characterized by an ambivalent relationship with state consent. Although customary international law seems to be entirely a creature of state consent, after all it is based on actual practice, in reality the fit with state consent is loose at best. Customary international law only awkwardly bridges the gap between a descriptive and prescriptive norm. Unable to move forward, the study of the formation of customary international law appears to have largely reached an impasse. Yet, states still appear to support and apply customary international law as a source of law, so we are faced with the situation of embracing a source of law that we do not understand well and where the applicable law is often vague.

This article is an attempt to bring into international law a perspective from the hard and soft sciences for discussing the formation of customary international law, specifically the study of critical mass in collective group behavior. This language is not entirely new to discussions on customary international law. Where it has been mentioned, the implications of critical mass theory have not been fully explored. Critical mass can be a loose concept to simply describe the accumulation of small actions that result in large shifts in collective behavior; however, it is also an empirically-based scientific study that attempts to assess how those changes come about. This article seeks to delve more deeply into critical mass and apply the insights from this study to the formation of customary international law.

Following a very brief introduction with background on customary international law, the paper will describe how the social sciences have embraced the critical mass theoretical perspective in the study of collective decision-making. Three primary elements of social change will be identified: (1) the importance of the content of the norm, (2) the role of influence through networks, and (3) the role of key individuals, “opinion leaders” and “opinion diffusors”.

Following this review of the science, the author will draw some implications for customary international law. In particular, the author will re-characterize three major discussions within customary international law into the three key factors of critical mass. The first discussion is that over the qualitative assessment of norms. The second is the growing influence of networks either as transnational governance or international organization rule-making. The final discussion is a proposal to understand the role of the “specially interested” state as a norm entrepreneur. The paper will conclude that study of critical mass can contribute to a better, and more formal, methodology for understanding customary international law.

Ellen Hume, Director of the Center on Media and Society at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, drafted a report based on her extensive research and interviews as well as the first World Journalism Education Congress held in Singapore June 25-28, 2007.

CIMA is pleased to release a new report, Covering Elections: The Challenges of Training the Watchdogs, by Rosemary Armao, a veteran journalist and journalism educator. Election training for journalists has been something of a sideline in most media development programs. Programs aimed at improving election laws, structures, and processes may include a journalism component, for example. Or efforts to boost investigative reporting might focus on elections in a particularly sensitive year. Where specialized election coverage programs have been mounted, they have tended to be short term and timed directly before elections, with faulty recruiting of participants, little focus on skills to be imparted in the rush, and no follow-up. Election trainings could be strengthened with some attention to a few opportunities currently being missed. Among these is increased cooperation among U.S. and Western European donors in both funding long-range journalism training and improving the content of training. Intensive, practical training in the use of technology so that reporters can take advantage of social networking, cellphones, and computerized graphics is overdue.

Community radio has assumed a monumental growth in the last two decades in several nations of the world. This development is largely due to its potential to democratize and provide a horizontal form of communication, thus, contributing more meaningfully to development efforts than the other forms of broadcasting. Despite these efforts, it is very disheartening to note the non-existence of a single community radio in Nigeria, while there are over a thousand community radios across Africa. Thus, the country’s political aspirations for inclusive participation of the majority and contextualization of development remained elusive due to non-democratization of access and use of information for freedom of expression. This imperative to positively and qualitatively hasten progress has eluded the citizenry due to unfavourable policies, legal and regulatory frameworks. This paper is a clarion call for immediate promotion and operation of community radio in Nigeria, from legal provision in hol...

Community radio has assumed a monumental growth in the last two decades in several nations of the world. This development is largely due to its potential to democratize and provide a horizontal form of communication, thus, contributing more meaningfully to development efforts than the other forms of broadcasting. Despite these efforts, it is very disheartening to note the non-existence of a single community radio in Nigeria, while there are over a thousand community radios across Africa. Thus, the country’s political aspirations for inclusive participation of the majority and contextualization of development remained elusive due to non-democratization of access and use of information for freedom of expression. This imperative to positively and qualitatively hasten progress has eluded the citizenry due to unfavourable policies, legal and regulatory frameworks. This paper is a clarion call for immediate promotion and operation of community radio in Nigeria, from legal provision in hol...

El presente artículo ofrece los resultados de una investigación de naturaleza exploratoria y descriptiva
acerca del papel y la pertinencia de los medios experimentales en la formación de periodistas como fase previa
a la concepción y diseño de un periódico-laboratorio. En la primera fase del estudio, a partir de una revisión
documental, se analizan las etapas por las que ha atravesado la formación del periodista y los cambios producidos.
Igualmente, se recoge allí la presencia de los periódicos en los planes de formación y se establecen las
razones teórico-prácticas que justifican la existencia de periódicos estudiantiles. En la segunda fase, se usó el
focus group para identificar las expectativas e intereses de los estudiantes en torno a un periódico digital –laboratorio.
Así se encontró, entre otros planteamientos, que: esperan obtener experiencia en todas las fases de
producción de este medio; desean aproximarse al mundo laboral pero en un entorno favorable; y creen que este
proyecto sería muy importante para dinamizar la enseñanza y aprendizaje de calidad. Igualmente, se concluye
que retomar la figura de los medios laboratorios es una oportunidad para congeniar el operacionalismo teórico
con el práctico, especialmente si las nuevas tecnologías se incorporan como saber tecnológico transformador

There have been growing concerns among mass communication scholars and professionals on how to improve media practice and professionalism in Nigeria. These stakeholders think that a good starting point is an examination of the training systems that produce the personnel that man the industry. This study examined internship as a vital component of journalism and mass communication training that needs to be strengthened in order to produce better trained manpower for the Nigeria media industry. The study sampled media training institutions and newspaper organizations in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The study employed the reflective practice theory as a theoretical background. It equally used the quantitative and qualitative methods of research, using questionnaires and personal interviews as instruments. Two population groups: journalism trainers; and editors of daily and weekly newspapers, chosen through the total enumeration sampling technique responded to two similar, 28-item questionnaires. Ten editors and ten trainers were equally chosen for interview through the available sampling method to elicit qualitative data. The study covered 22 out of the 28 journalism training institutions, and 16 out of the 19 daily and weekly newspapers in South-West Nigeria. The study found that both editors and trainers see internship as a major area that requires improvement in journalism education. However, whereas trainers do not support advanced internship for themselves, editors think that journalism trainers should do advanced internships.

Durante décadas, o jornalismo foi entendido como uma simples prática profissional (uma ocupação), que poderia existir sem a necessidade de uma formação universitária especializada. Neste texto defende-se a formação universitária como a mais adequada para os desafios e exigências da profissão, recordando-se que a mesma implica uma distância crítica em relação às condições concretas do seu exercício. Desta forma defende-se que o ethos jornalístico, baseado numa atitude pragmática em relação à realidade, terá de se confrontar também com as exigências críticas que caracterizam um saber reflexivo teoricamente orientado. Esta problemática recorrentemente retomada em diversos debates (ensino profissionalizante versus saber universitário, teoria versus prática, capacidades reflexivas versus competências performativas) relaciona-se directamente com uma reflexão sobre a natureza da profissão.

The media in much of sub-Saharan Africa are severely constrained by several factors: lack of resources, government pressure, the influence of media ownership and the declining CQ quality of secondary education and professional education. In many countries, newspapers are unable to perform the role of watchdog or effectively educate the public in part because of the difficulties faced by the journalists in their employ. Into the breach has stepped a plethora of foreign organizations which provide journalism training. Some of these are non-governmental organizations with a development agenda that seek to promote education about their causes. Others are the training arms of professional media groups (Thomson Reuters, BBC Trust) or are organizations that work on journalism education (the Berlin-based International Institute for Journalism and the International Center for Journalism in Washington DC).  Findings from two studies conducted by the author which deployed content analysis and interviews with journalists who have had training, are presented to examine these training efforts to assess their effectiveness. The argument of the paper suggests that given the challenges faced by African media, donor-driven training programs will have only a limited effect on the larger media climate.

Based principally on verbal data collected through interviews with journalists, journalism educationists, journalist trainers, and curriculum analysis, this study notes some progress made in the field of Malawian journalism since independence. However, it argues that despite the welcome increase in the number of journalism and communication qualifications offered by public and private journalism training colleges in Malawi, the quality of the output is still lackluster. This is overwhelmingly because practical skills courses are taught inadequately, haphazardly and theoretically due, partly, to inadequate human and material resources and lack of a national policy to guide the formation of journalists. It recommends that to improve the quality and relevance of journalistic output, Malawi should draft and publish a journalism education and training policy to guide all journalism training colleges. It also recommends that training colleges should partner with the industry, multilateral...

Résumé Prisma Presse



En 1994, le groupe Prisma a lancé une formation interne à destination de cadres- journalistes baptisée Académie. Après un double échec, cette formule se transforme et est refondée sur un compromis entre la Direction des ressources humaines et les rédacteurs en chef. L’étude des transformations de cette Académie nous permet de voir que pour comprendre une formation il importe de dépasser les seuls enjeux de formation pour en saisir également les enjeux politiques. L’Académie constitue en effet un lieu de centralisation du pouvoir par la DRH au sein d’un groupe éclaté en de multiples titres. De ce fait, elle concourre à la production du groupe et à l’activation de l’esprit d’entreprise. En distinguant des « Académiciens », l'Académie permet aussi d’inciter les rédacteurs en chef à avoir recours à un corps de pigistes généralistes formés dans les écoles de journalisme qui finissent par se retrouver attachés à leurs titres sous l'effet des logiques de spécialisation et de précarisation du marché du travail. Pour toutes ces raisons, l’Académie apparaît donc comme un terrain pertinent pour saisir les enjeux de luttes de légitimation au sein de l’univers journalistique.



Abstract



In 1994, the Prisma press group decided to create an internal journalism school for managers which was called inside the group “The Academy”. After his failure, this school has been changed and is refunded on a compromise between The Direction of human engineering and the editors. The study of these mutations of the so-called “Academy” offers an understanding of the fact that to analyse a formation, it’s important not just to give a glimpse on the stakes of the formation only but also to understand political stakes. The Academy constitutes a spot for the centralization of power by the managers in human engineering inside a group divided between several titles. In this way, it contributes to the symbolical production of the group. By distinguishing “Academicians” among the other journalists, The Academy helps the editors to use some stringers formed in French J school which finished by being linked with their titles due to the effects of specialization of the journalistic labour market. For these reasons, The Academy is a good way to seize stakes by which social groups try to legimate themselves inside the journalistic world.

Aro digitalean murgilduta, kazetaritzak orain arte izan dituen hainbat ezaugarri berriro definitzeko beharra du. Garai honek komunikatzeko aukera eta teknika berriak ekartzen dituen era berean, unibertsitatetik erantzun bat jaso beharko luketen hainbat erronkei aurre egin behar die ere lan- bideak: informazioaren profesionalizatzea eta kazetarien formazioa, bitartekotza prozesuaren monopolioaren amaiera eta kalitatea eta erreferentzialtasunaren nagusitasuna eta negozio-eredu propioak finkatzea, besteak beste.

In this reflective article, characteristics of the main journalism training systems are analysed: University education, professional schools and training provided by the media industry. The ultimate purpose is to consider an ideal model, for the new digital age.

dans le journalisme contemporain, un champ sémantique beaucoup plus large que la stricte « actualité » ; les objets dont traite la presse et la manière de les aborder se diversi-fient. L'élargissement de la notion d'information tient aussi au fait que le journaliste s'adresse à un public perçu comme un ensemble de consommateurs plutôt que de citoyens 3. » François Demers préfère, quant à lui, analyser ces transformations sous l'angle de la « destructuration-restructuration 4 », le processus de « destruction créatrice » ayant conduit au passage du journalisme classique au journalisme fonctionnel. Invité en 2007 par la revue Tic et Société à revisiter un article déterminant sur les transformations du journalisme rédigé dix ans plus tôt, le chercheur poursuit son analyse à travers l'étude de trois « destructions-restructurations » qui ont émergé lors de la dernière décennie : la transformation du modèle des affaires, la réorganisation des contenus des médias généralistes, et la dissociation des composantes de l'information (dissociation de la production de l'informa-tion, de la fonction éditoriale-diluée dans le journalisme citoyen-et du magistère journalistique). Que les transformations du journalisme soient évoquées à L es pratiques journalistiques, leur environnement, et les contenus qu'elles engendrent, ont connu de profondes transformations ces vingt dernières années. Des transformations qui génèrent une littérature scientifique importante, mais qui portent le plus souvent sur des aspects singuliers du journalisme : étude de contenus spécifiques 1 , pratiques nouvelles engendrées par un outil technique ou encore développement de formes particulières du journalisme telle que le journalisme citoyen par exemple 2. Finalement, peu nombreux sont les chercheurs qui interro-gent le processus même de transformation. Jean de Bon-ville et Jean Charron avancent l'hypothèse d'un changement paradigmatique pour expliquer les transformations récentes du journalisme. Ils considèrent que les transformations vécues ces vingt dernières années par le système médiatique condui-sent les journalistes à procéder à des ajustements de leurs pratiques et normes professionnelles et conduisent ainsi à l'émergence d'un nouveau paradigme journalistique : le journalisme de communication. Ce paradigme journalis-tique se caractérise notamment par une conception diffé-rente de l'information : « […] La notion d'information recouvre, Les pratiques, les contenus et le rôle du journaliste ont subi des transformations particulièrement aiguës ces dernières années. Camille Laville établit un rapide état de la recherche sur ces transformations afin de souligner les difficultés que connaissent les formations journalistiques en France pour se saisir de ces changements. Entre mythes et réalités objectives, pratiques (dé)passées et nouveaux objets, l'auteur souligne les résistances des formateurs à (in)former les étudiants en journalisme des transformations de leur métier.

On the request of the Center for Independent Journalism in Budapest and with the financial help of the CEE Trust the authors prepared two manuals of investigative journalism, one for students and another one for teachers. The two books provide a practical guide of investigative journalism. 


Publisher: Center for Independent Journalism  Published: 2009  No. of pages: 110