References: Award wining journalist, my 50% blog lecturer
Pass times: Reading, picnics, reading some more
Book: To kill a Mocking bird- Harper Lee
1. Life in South Africa was very different; the battle lines were clearly defined. There were good guys and bad guys and I had to decide which side I was on. Journalism had a really important role, but unfortunately then, freedom of the press was non-existent. There were hundreds of laws governing the way the press reported, and as many volunteers as possible were needed in order to change this.
2. The changes that are occurring in the world are influencing the skills that I hope to equip my students with. This means that I have to start thinking and teaching on a media landscape. I feel that the new forms of journalism are very important in the times that we live in. As journalists, it is our duty to try to inform those that are unable to inform themselves and with this global age media we are able to do this much faster and more effectively. I am a print journalist by nature and I see that my industry is changing, but I do not think that it will die. The sad reality in this country is that, the majority of the people, the people that we are meant to represent are still very marginalised. This means that they are unable to move with this new age media. The fact that even students who are being trained in this field, in particular here in the Eastern Cape, do not have access to computers let alone the internet,is indicative of the fact that print and the other traditional forms of media still have a huge role to play.
3. My aim is to continue to help students through the challenges that the changes to this course will always bring. I want students to know that there are always ways to work around any obstacles that they may encounter along their path to becoming capable journalists. I want to encourage them to read widely, so as to take in as much information as possible in order to be in a better position to have an opinion worth being heard. They need to learn to be able to communicate with their sources confidently and for that to occur they must learn to be innovative in their ways of acquiring knowledge.
4. I have been living in Grahmstown for 5 years now and I am ashamed to say that I can only say "Molo". I think that the introduction of Xhosa into the course is a positive initiative that will alow students to understand the people whose narratives they tell.I commend the department and I wish it success.
Word for students: Good journalism needs you to practice what you learn
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