07 April, 2011


I guess it's as the learned say, "hard work pays off". It did indeed pay off for FJP Nokwazi 'Makhumalo' Khumalo, with sleep so peaceful, in the lab, in between the editing, mind you! I am quite certain she dreamt of Highway Africa and the collaboration with LoveLife, conjuring mobile magic somewhere in FJP land.

FJPs are currently enduring the last of late-night editing and perfection of their work before they exhibit tomorrow! What a glorious moment it will be for the students; to see the fruits of their labour! For us at Highway Africa, it will be a moment to celebrate achieving a major achievement- the education of young journalists to utilise new media technologies to report. We have demystified the notion that journalism requires expensive equipment. Students used their own mobile phones to capture footage. Phones ranged from Nokia 5130 Express Music, 5230,E90, Samsung E250, Galaxy Gio S5660 to Blackberriys. These devices, coupled with sound editing freeware, Audacity, and Windows Movie Maker has given birth to incredible documentaries usable for television and multimedia broadcasting.

We have proved to our students and to the media world alike, that journalism is possible anywhere, irrespective of the lack of funding to purchase conventional equipment. Mobile journalism is a solution to some of the problems newsrooms have faced in this converging industry.

Tomorrow, FJPs will return to their respective institutions, with a new skill. They return home with new friendships and a new strong network heading to their professional future. It has been a productive week, and I should also head home now, before I suffer the same fate as 'MaKhumalo' above.

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