UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

09/12/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/12/2023 10:11

What is the future of journalism education in Eastern Africa? Maseno University hosts the conference on the future of journalism education and practice

Originally published on 3 March, 2023.

The event brought together over 70 participants from diverse backgrounds: journalism educators, media practitioners, policymakers, representatives from civil society organisations, students, and researchers, with one goal in mind: to reflect and discuss the state of journalism education, the role of journalism educators and trainers in combatting challenges and the threats to journalism practice in the region.

The participants also shared their experiences and made recommendations to improve journalism education. The event provided a platform to deliberate on emerging journalism training challenges, research gaps, and agenda. It further explored the role of journalism in the Global South in promoting Target 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the region.

The exchanges revolved around the global and regional perspectives of journalism education and practice, the quality and quality assurance of journalism education, the digital media impact on journalism, the role of government and other media stakeholders in addressing media market challenges, as well as the sustainability of journalism education and practice in Eastern Africa.

In his opening statement, Dr Omukule Emojong, Chair of the Department of Communication and Media Technology at Maseno University noted: "The media are experiencing insurmountable challenges with a high record of retrenchment. Digital media has also brought about the issue of infodemics and seems to have replaced the journalists as we know them. However, journalists are necessary to respond to the challenges affecting the media space. We are here to learn, implement and prepare ourselves for the future."

The chief guest, Prof. Eric Nyambedha, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Partnerships, Research, and Innovations, at Maseno University officially opened the conference stating: "This major conference focuses on improving the quality of journalism education and practice of journalists and other professionals for future generations. The world is rapidly moving into the digital space. As educators, we need to train our journalists to fit into that ever-changing digital space. Therefore, we need to share ideas, to reflect, rethink and adapt our curriculum."

Students listening at Maseno University. © UNESCO

Prof Guy Berger, former Director for Strategies and Policies in Communication and Information at UNESCO, highlighted UNESCO initiatives undertaken over the years to support journalism education and media development. He also highlighted the need for Africa to develop a strong community of practice in journalism education and practice, which requires inputs from all stakeholders.

"It is evident that a community of practice is not something that can be created or generated outside the stakeholders who could comprise it. Thus, outside parties like UNESCO can only support if there are joint initiatives and leadership emanating from within the ranks of African journalism educators themselves," he affirmed.

Other discussions focused on new phenomena such as citizen journalism and freelance journalism. The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on journalism education and practice was also mentioned, citing its fast model of operation and disengaged form of interaction lacking in human touch, which is key in the art of storytelling.

"Dealing with AI needs one to be trustworthy as a journalist as AI can develop things such as deep fakes, misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories. Journalists should dig deep and investigate every piece of news before releasing it to the public," said Prof Guy Berger.

There is a thin line between media and journalism. Media is the platform where the stories are showcased. Journalism is the art of storytelling. Media is unpredictable as it changes often but journalism is constant, as everyone loves a good story. This is a space that we must navigate.

Prof Levi ObonyoDean at School of Communication at Daystar University

During the conference, UNESCO presented and launched the UNESCO-Google project to promote excellence in journalism education in Africa, which aims at developing a set of criteria of excellence through a consultative process.

A journalist should respond to the socio-economic, political, and environmental needs of the society. We are working to create centres of excellence for journalism in Africa and the criteria to establish this should be consultative and unique to Africa's journalism situation.

Allan FinlayProject Coordinator at University of Witwatersrand