2012, Here We Go!

At last, 2012 is here, with the remnants of 2011 falling away behind us. The past four years
of FJP have seen many FJP alumni unleash their potential with some achieving great
things. This year, the programme seeks for even better achievements.

REFLECTION of FJP 2011
Last year, the programme boasted a dynamic group of 20 students from 10 institutions around South Africa. Reflecting on our achievements, we are happy to announce that FJP has been granted a Rhodes University Short Course status. This saw the 20 FJPs receive a
competency certificate at the end of their FJP year, which included intense
workshops on how to use a simple device as a cell phone and editing freeware to
produce material for multimedia broadcasting platforms.

FJP2012
This year, FJP focuses more
on development and innovation in media. The theme for the Autumn school being
Radio, podcasting and good old writing, taking place on the 8th- 14th
April 2012! The idea is to introduce the students to radio broadcasting, how to
use ICTs in radio, whilst not forgetting the fundamentals of journalism and writing.

This is the first time that the programme has focussed on radio. The students will interact with online publishing platforms, posting podcasts and accompanying stories to the different
Highway Africa platforms. The main idea of this intense Autumn School is to demystify new media to students, whilst still teaching them the fundamentals of traditional radio journalism writing. It is also to show them that journalists do not need expensive equipment in order to produce content for broadcast. Equipped with a mobile phone with image, video and sound functionality, editing freeware plus internet connections, 21st-century-journalists have no
excuse for not disseminating information.

This year’s programme also focuses in creating synergies at more collaborations with other youth
programmes, one of which is the Grocott’s Mail Upstart. Upstart is a local youth development project aimed at youth in Grades 8 to 10 based in Grahamstown. It was founded in 2008 as a way of responding to the low levels of literacy which was evident in school performance and the poor matric pass rate.

Upstart involves the youth in journalism writing and publishing, promoting a culture of literacy and reading and writing development. It also fosters inter-school communication, breaking down racial, cultural and language divide whilst and developing leadership skills amongst the youth through running weekly workshops at each school.

These are the kinds of collaborations that are meaningful for the programme, that we believe will
further expand the programme’s reach.

As we venture into yet another exciting FJP year, we thank our sponsors, the Open Society Foundation South Africa (OSF) for the faith in the work FJP does. We also thank the various institutions which we have collaborated with and the past participants you for their enthusiasm about FJP, and the time and care invest each year into the future of all FJPs.

MDDA forges partnership with University of Limpopo

By Moses Moreroa

The Media Development and Diversity Agency(MDDA) in partnership with the University of Limpopo(UL) held a media, culture and tradition dialogue at Hall R-40 in Turfloop Campus.


The MDDA aims at pursuing Media Development for our Democracy in accordance with its mandate, the MDDA exists to ensure an 'enabling environment' for continued media diversification, giving people from all demographic groups in South Africa a chance to participate in public-sphere communication. Broadly, its aim is to create an environment where a diverse, vibrant and creative media flourishes - one that reflects the needs of all South Africans.
In collaboration to UL, which aims at being a world-class African university which responds to education, research and community development needs through partnerships and knowledge generation continuing a long tradition of empowerment।

The event was blessed by the attendance of Lumko Mtimde, Chief Executive Officer of MDDA। He has given a clear overview of how media should function. "media freedom must not be under any threat, let us leave the fictional part of the story and focus on the facts. The secrecy bill does not exist, there is no jurisdiction in the world that does not have the protection of state information. Let us practice professionalism and investigative journalism. The content that we consume must interest all people by producing our own views and opinions regarding our languages and culture", he said.

The event most wanted opinions from media practitioners on what are the opportunities and challenges that they face on daily gathering and reportage of news। The UL media studies lecturer Vusimuzi Mabuza was one to break the ice. "You may use your own language, but, what is critical is mindset. If people still think like Europeans, then there will be a problem is preserving African culture and media diversity", Mabuza implied.

Despite meaningful inputs added by media practitioners, traditional leaders also had something to say when coming to culture and media। Honourable Chief Rampududu, said media should collaborate with royal houses on how to approach them since there is a steep protocol to follow. "Journalists should be trained, particularly young ones, in the community they serve. MDDA should monitor such media literacy for success", he added.

In addition, Ms Madima, who is a print media studies lecturer, sustaintiate by adding the issue of attitude and behaviour towards media and culture। "What you have been taught reflects your personal traits। You cannot go and interview a chief while chewing a gum", she laughs.

Also the Director of the School of Languages and Communications in the university, Professor Richard Madadzhe, emphasised on the distortion and misrepresentation of utterances। This is led by misinformation and high level of ignorancy among young journalists. "I usually visits my chief during December vacations. It is our culture to nurture the chief with gifts. I normally give him R500 or so for Christmas present. What would the misinformed journalist write? I paid bribery", said the director before facilitating the forging of partnerships.

In appreciation, Deputy Press Ombudsman, John Retief further stressed the point of language equity। "All 11 official languages should be met in our local media and must be supported by the nation and many advertising agencies। Media should be diversified and we should send out skilled journalists who will bring out interesting content so that we avoid duplicity of information",urged Retief.

The event was ended by the grace of the Head of Department in Media, Communication and Information Studies, Professor Sheila Mmusi। In her closing remarks, she argued that, we must be culture sensitive by not looking our culture in an international way। She said, "Young people need to be encouraged to learn indigenous languages and the eldery should not misinterpret our cultures".

She declared the event to be success as their mission is reralised and most dominating factors to underdevelopment has been identified. "Media students in my faculty should take one or two indigenous languages to third or even honours level in their programmes. We need to invest in Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) by not consulting Department of Education, but add such information in media ethics and linguistics", she concluded.

Maximal Football Website

Dear FJP's
This is just an appeal to all of you to visit this website, www.maximalfootball.com. This is something we (me and my friend) started in few months back.
The site is all about soccer and I would love to hear what you guys think about the website. You can post your comments on our stories but the main reason behind this is plea is to create enough traffic to our site.
As you may all know that in website business in order to attract advertisers, you must have more then enough people visiting your site. So I trust that you will spread the word to friends and families to be regular visitors of our sites. So go and visit the site because we are "Tapping the untapped" in the world of football

Vote FJP's blogs at the SA Blog Awards

Hi guys

This year we have 2 FJP 2010 alumni's in the running at the upcoming SA Blog Awards.

My blog (Zee Fashionista) is the running for the Best Fashion Blog at the 2011 SA Blog Awards, and I'd like to ask all of you to vote for me by clicking on the SA Blog Awards badge at the top right hand side of my blog, or by clicking here - http://website.sablogawards.com/2011/vote/voteforme/3762,4176. Sihle's blog is also in the running, and I'll add his voting details to this post as soon as he let's me know about them.

Please use your correct email address because you will be sent a confirmation email which you will have to respond to in order to confirm your vote.

The process allows you to vote for only one blog per category.

Should you decide to vote for another blog in the same category you will lose the original vote, as the new vote will override the initial vote. So please spread the word because each person can only vote once for me in the Best Fashion Blog Category, and once for Sihle in the Best Lifestyle Blog category.

Public voting is from the 31 of October to the 9th of November.

Thanks guys!

Zinhle Mncube

Entries Open for 2011 UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award

Nairobi, 13 October 2011 - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is pleased to open the 2011 UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award.

Following the successful launch of the competition last year, African journalists between 21 and 35 years, who are based on the continent and working for local, regional or international media organizations, are once again encouraged to apply.

Journalists entering the award may submit one radio, television, print or online report (in English or French) on an environmental issue.

The prize is an all-expenses-paid study visit to the USA, where the winner will follow a specially designed “green itinerary”, interacting with leading environmental projects, green economy projects, scientists and public figures.

Last year’s UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award (YEJA) winner, radio journalist Patricia Okoed-Bukumunhe from Uganda, is currently in the United States completing her study tour.

Visiting Washington DC, Seattle and Miami, Patricia will be meeting and working with Voice of America, National Public Radio, National Geographic and a host of other media organisations and environmental groups.

You can read about her experiences as the 2010 YEJA winner on her US blog, ‘Patricia on the Road’, at www.unep.org/yeja

Applications for the 2011 UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award can be made online at www.unep.org/yeja until 5pm (Nairobi time) on 16 December 2011.

Written articles must not exceed 3000 words and radio or television reports should be no longer than six minutes. The report must have been published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2011.

Please visit the website for all other terms and conditions.

Over 120 entries from 24 African countries were received for last year’s award. The diverse subject matter covered by journalists included the role of traditional ‘medicine men’ in protecting biodiversity in Kenya, the need for improved sanitation in communities in Nigeria and the impact of climate change on weather patterns in Togo.

Among other criteria, judges for the 2011 UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award will assess entries on the strength of their environmental component, newsworthiness, originality, scientific accuracy, and relevance to local or regional communities in Africa.

The award is made possible through funding support from the Government of the United States of America.

For more information, please contact:

Bryan Coll, UNEP Newsdesk, on Tel. +254 20 7623088 or Email yeja.africa@unep.org or bryan.coll@unep.org

My year as an FJP

By Wendy N Ngcobo

I remember walking shivering with anxiety as I didn’t remember doing anything that would get me to be called in to go to the office.

“You have been chosen to be on the FJP programme “these were words by my lecturer Mrs. Sobbend when she delivered the good news to me.

Her lips carried on moving but in my mind I was thinking “after months of regretting having taken long to enter this industry, could the wait been worth it “.I was smiling but my eyes were filled with tears that because she saw me smile she was unable to see .I blew my nose not because I had a problem but because I didn’t want her to see that I was actually hiding my tears from being seen.

I was excited and nervous, at the prospect of such an opportunity, that I Wendy Nolwazi Ngcobo was about to embark on this journey, I was going to Rhodes University. I was nervous and excited at the same time I didn’t know which emotion to deal with first. I was going to Rhodes University and will be meeting new other students from  around South Africa who had the same passion as me .I was excited about my journey to autumn school that I packed a week in advance.

Mobile Phones as tools for journalism  is what  our workshop was  based on and there was nothing as heartwarming when on our last day we sat and watched a movie that I had made on YouTube .I’ve continually received positive feet back  on the story I did in the community of  Joza.

I had the amazing opportunity of being involved in the Durban International Film Festival which was an amazing networking platform form for me as an up and coming journalist. This opportunity came after one of our alumni’s Sihle Mthembu motivated us to ‘remove the mentality of being students”,” you are professionals from day one “, he said.

From that point on I have been so confident in introducing myself as ‘a journalist from Highway Africa’ that the poise I have possessed and the mentality of professionalism  has seen me  surrounded by influential people in the media ,in entertainment and in government.

Wendy ,Elethu and Akhona

Words cannot describe how I feel about the programme about the amazing initiatives it continuously   provides for young and upcoming journalist as the lessons we learn at our tertiary institutions, those alone are not enough to prepare one for the task we have at hand as advocate for people.

So to the future, FJP I wish them all of the best  they should take hold of this amazing, once in a life time opportunity.

I will miss you FJPs

It is so sad that our time had to come to an end, it was really nice spending time with you FJPs. I gained something positive from each and everyone of you and I can happily say that I am inspired by most of you. We were like a family. I will miss each and everyone of you; every second we spent together and every laughter we shared. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Nqobile and the entire Future Journalists Programme staff for everything they have done for me. If it was not for the FJP I would not have been who I am today. Through the FJP I’ve gained confidence in myself, yes I am not the most talkative person, but I can tell you that I am no longer the Elethu I was before joining the programme. Being part of the FJP is the greatest thing that has ever happened in my life and that is why I will never forget the time I spent there. Keep on doing the great work Nqo! I will miss all of you my friends!