Seminar on Education and Training in Journalism and Communication in Mozambique
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SEMINAR ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION IN MOZAMBIQUE MAPUTO, 17-18 MAY 2001 FINAL REPORT DRAWN UP FOR THE MEDIA DEVELOPMENT IN MOZAMBIQUE PROJECT BY EDUARDO NAMBURETE AND TOMAS VIEIRA MARIO MAPUTO, MAY 2001 Foreword Journalism and communication education still represents a relatively new field of study in Mozambique as well as in Africa in general. In the case of Mozambique this can be explained in the Portuguese colonization of the country. A first effort to create conditions to educate journalists in the country both academically and vocationally started in the late seventies with short-term courses to upgrade the skills of already working journalists, however often with a very limited educational background of less than nine years of school. In the development process of these short-term training courses, a project to create a School of Journalism took shape, and once formally established, functioned under the Ministry of Information, which was abolished in 1991 when the Media Law was passed. Over the years and in the middle of harsh difficulties and with no formal statutes and official curriculum until 1990, the school educated though generations of journalists some of whom presently with the most influential positions in the country’s newspapers, radio stations and TV. In the 80es the school came to be the School of Journalism for all the five Portuguese-speaking PALOP countries in Africa (Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cap Verde and Sao Tomé and Príncipe) as well as East Timor. In spite of weaknesses it is as such important to consider the experience available in the country for the needed revision of the curriculum as well as improvement of facilities and required equipment for the institution. At the same time, education in the area of journalism and communication at university level is very recent : only in 2001the private “Instituto Politécnico Superior e Universitário”, ISPU, graduated its first students of Communication. Furthermore the faculty of education in Nampula at the Catholic University of Mozambique has recently started a bachelor-degree study in Communication and the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, the only public university in Mozambique, is in an advanced stage of preparation for the establishment of a School of Communication and Art. All in all, this experience will definitely strengthen a dynamic and powerful Mozambican media, confronting the challenges and needs of society and benefiting from the great advances in exactly the area of information technology and communication. The UNESCO/UNDP Media Development Project is honoured to have been requested to take part in a series of reflections with the different partners directly or indirectly interested and involved in this area. And it is with an extended sense of responsibility that we hope the present report will assist the relevant and interested parties to formulate adequate strategies for education and training of journalism and communication professionals that will meet the needs of the media sector in the country. Let us end by stressing that the opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect official UNESCO policies. Maputo, May 2001 Birgitte Jallov Tomás Vieira Mário Chief Technical Adviser National Project Coordinator I - INTRODUCTION Immediate Objective 7 of the UNESCO/UNDP project for the Development of the Media in Mozambique determines the holding of a "National Seminar on the Policy and Strategy of Journalism Training in Mozambique". In compliance with this objective, a seminar entitled "Education and Training in Journalism and Communication in Mozambique" was held on 17-18 May 2001 in Maputo. In line with the objectives originally defined by the project document, the central purpose of the seminar was to discuss and produce recommendations on a long term strategy, above all for the development of human and technical resources in the sphere of the education and technical-professional training of journalists in the country, through curriculum reforms, restructuring and institutional strengthening of the education bodies, and technical-professional training in this area. Among the indispensable requirements for attaining this goal are the discussion and formulation of policies and plans for the training and systematic upgrading of educators and trainers, the development of curricula that respond to the needs of the media industry, in light of the new national scenario, characterised by diversity, pluralism and independence of the national mass media, as well as the corresponding needs of the same institutions in terms of infrastructures and adequate equipment. The seminar was officially opened by the Minister of Education, Dr Alcido Ngwenha, who was welcomed by the Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Maputo, Dr Svend Madsen. II - OBJECTIVE The main objective of this seminar was to undertake a comparative assessment, as exhaustively as possible, of the human resource needs of the media industry (in terms of adequate academic and professional training) on the one hand, and on the other the capacity of the training institutes to satisfy these same market needs. Reference points for analysis were: 1. The curricular programmes; 2. The level and areas of training and specialisation of the teachers and technical trainers; and 3. The capacity and appropriateness of the infrastructures and equipment available in the various relevant educational establishments and technical and professional training centres. Additionally, and in a concrete and practical manner, the seminar also discussed: 1. Different models of journalism teaching that might be adopted in Mozambique; 2. The new role of the Journalism School in the current context of media pluralism and independence; 3. The exchange of synergies between the various institutions of academic and professional training in the country and in the region; and 4. The role of cooperation partners in journalism training. During two days, the discussions around these themes took contributions from a group of about sixty participants, including editorial directors, editors and managers of the various media, educators and trainers in journalism and communication, and also representatives of training institutions invited from the SADC region, as well as representatives from the government bodies that supervise the sector, namely the government Press Office (Gabinfo). III - METHODOLOGY The seminar was organised into four panels on specific themes, a group discussion session, and a final plenary session. The starting point of the seminar was the presentation of the main findings and recommendations of the "Study on Education and Training in Journalism and Communication", requested from two specialists by the UNESCO/UNDP Media Project in December 2000. The study identifies the needs of the mass media in terms of human resources adequately trained to respond to the challenges of a modern and active journalism. At the same time, it presents the level of response offered to the media industry by the country's existing training institutions. Three institutions for the education and training of journalists were the main targets of this study, namely: * the Journalism School; * the Higher Polytechnic and University Institute (ISPU); and * the Catholic University (Bachelor's Degree in Communication at the Education Faculty in Nampula). This summary was presented by Eduardo Namburete, of Maputo's Eduardo Mondlane University, a member of the team that undertook the study, under the leadership of Professor Matt Mogekwo, of the North West University, Mmabatho, South Africa. The findings of the study were the basis for a first session of discussions around the state of the teaching of communication and journalism in Mozambique, which was an initial opportunity for the participants to advance strategic lines for reforms of the sector. Particular stress was immediately laid on the Journalism School, which is potentially the main supplier of editorial staff for the media industry in Mozambique - and the only public journalism training institution. 1. THEMATIC PANELS Following this first plenary debate, discussions took place around more specific matters, through the following four panels: The first thematic panel, formed by editors and editorial directors from the various mass media, considered the problematic of the needs of media companies in comparison with the training offered by the communications training institutes. The second thematic panel was led by academics not directly involved in teaching or practicing journalism, and it was intended to provide a critical assessment of the state of journalism in Mozambique from an academic perspective. The third panel presented a regional perspective on journalism training in southern Africa - possibilities and challenges. Finally, on the second day of the seminar, the fourth panel discussed a menu of possible models for education and professional training in journalism at the tertiary level. 2. THEMATIC GROUPS The presentations and discussions held up to the end of the morning of the second day were taken further in smaller sessions of four thematic groups which each concentrated on the following specific topics: 1. Possible models for journalism training at tertiary level; 2. New role of the Journalism School and curriculum development; 3. Synergies and interconnections between national and regional training institutions and the Journalism School; and 4. The role of cooperation partners