Media institutions and media houses urged to collaborate
Pini Bothoko | Friday March 31, 2017 16:53
Speaking at a two day consultative workshop on partner collaboration between media and training institutions, Professor Bojosi Otlhogile said collaboration could take place at pre-professional training, continuing professional development and during research.
He said tertiary training institutions are primarily involved with three major activities of teaching, research and engagement and it has been the primary role of universities to train journalists and other media personnel.
“This goes without saying that they are responsible for the development of programmes. Traditionally, it is the responsibility of the professors to develop both the structure and content of such programmes and perhaps more needs to be done,” said Otlhogile.
He said harnessing the expertise that reside within the practitioners, editors, media houses and managers will enable the trainers to produce all rounded professionals.
“Collaboration between institutions and news organisations will produce more skilled and educated journalists that we have today. This entails collaboration not only in training, but also enabling media schools to become content creators by employing students while still in school,” said Otlhogile.
He said it requires a shift in mindset and for media houses to change from the reluctance to allow students to play a role in the newsroom without fearing that to be ceding control even when there are no boots in the ground.
“Training therefore should not end in the classroom. The media schools’ training should not be academic, but should also encompass continuing professional development. Let us face it in our country, outside of government owned media, there is very little of continuing professional development and on the job training going on,” Otlhogile said.
He said newsrooms are bereft of senior editors to guide juniors and in the absence of them perhaps training institutions could also play a role.
“That way quality and standards of reporting, editing and presentation of news would be improved. Academic institutions are also doing well with research because they are always in the forefront of what is new in the market place and on the cutting edge of technology,” Otlhogile emphasised.
He stated that updating the media in the new and emerging technology will be one area where they can lead.
Otlhogile said media and training institutions have much in common because of the first two fundamental principles of freedom of expression and the right to dissemination of information.
“Each of these privileges carries concomitant responsibilities which we in training institutions and media should never forget. With the remarkable recent developments in the electronic world, the weight of these responsibilities is greater than it ever has been,” Otlhogile said.
Meanwhile, Otlhogile also stated that the media has a very important function to play in the country’s democracy as it plays an essential part by reporting to the public what goes on in the society.
He said the media also provides a vital forum for comments and discussion about such matters.
Otlhogile said the collaboration has been dictated over the years by the twin pillars of freedom of expression and freedom of enquiry.