The 2011 Future Journalists Programme (FJP) Participants have been named!
Congratulations and a warm welcome to all our new participants:
1 Akhona Valashiya Walter Sisulu University
2 Elethu Magele Walter Sisulu University
3 Khutso Eunice Mabokela University of Limpopo
4 Moses Mashwahla Moreroa University of Limpopo
5Portia Makore University of Fort Hare
6Sesethu Malgas University of Fort Hare
7Nokuthula Doreen Wathi Durban University of Technology
8Wendy Nolwazi Ngcobo Durban University of Technology
9Duschanka Hitzeroth University of Zululand
10Cherity Pumla Luthuli University of Zululand
11Nokwazi Khumalo University of Cape Town
12Devaksha Vallabhjee University of Cape Town
13Thabiso Sihlali Tshwane University of Technology
14Pearl Nicodemus Tshwane University of Technology
15Busisiwe Busenga University of Johannesburg
16Bongiwe Olwethu Tutu Rhodes University
17Sibulele Magini Rhodes University
18Megan Stacy Deana Cape Peninsula University Technology
19Bhekimpilo Dungeni Cape Peninsula University Technology
Autumn School: Mobile Phones as Tools for Journalism
The first workshops of the year, the Autumn School, will take place in the week 4-8 April 2011. The FJPs (as they are now aply called) will be covering the theme Mobile Phones as Tools for Journalism. They will learn how to use their mobile phones to produce visual material for broadcast and for multimedia platforms. Communications is going 'mobile' in Africa, and the FJPs will be acquiring just the skill needed to be a technology-savvy-21st-century-journalist! The main lesson here is that journalists do not need thousand of dollars worth of equipment to be able to produce quality broadcast material. Armed with a simple mobile phone, equipped with standard video and audio capability, with the aid of readily available freeware, like Audacity to edit footage- any journalist can tell their story!
FJps will be have practical-intense sessions with sessions like 'Video and Your Mobile Phone', where they will use their 'how to' guides, experimenting with their footage, editing and posting their podcasts to various online platforms.
Collaboration with LoveLife
Beyond being apiring journalists, FJPs are young people, who are growing each day, experiencing life in its entirety. They, alike every other youth in the country, are grippling with and experiencing the essense of sexuality,love and life. Didn't we all! FJP is therefore collaborating with LoveLife for this Autumn School. FJPs will be working around the sub-theme 'Sexuality in Grahamstown' as a focus for this workshop. We thought it would be great to have LoveLife come in to speak about this topic; the politics of sexuality, and how to best report on its different facets. So, the combination of learning to use mobile phones as tools for journalism, and tackling the issue of how to report sexuality stories will not only benefit the students professionally, but they will also gain interpersonal growth. The students will have a field trip to the LoveLife offices in Grahamstown, interacting with the Grahamstown LoveLife volunteer group. They will do interviews and document some of the stories the volunteers have to share, producing videos in the end. These videos will be posted both on the FJP blogsite and on the LoveLife website.
The fun side of FJP
This workshop promises a significant and fun-learning curve for the FJPs. Of course, which student wouldn't have a great time under the creative and knowledgeable hand of Alette Schoon, TV Lecturer at Rhodes and FJP trainer! Alette has been experimenting with this theme for some time now, working with citizen journalists from Grocott's Mail, and has a lot to offer. More on the Grocott's Mail citizen journalism newsroom can be found HERE.
To Lookout For
RESULTS! We at FJP and Highway Africa are eager to see the results from this Autumn School. Truly, it epitomises what we are about. We believe in the empowerment of young African journalist and training them exploit the benefits and not fear new media technology. FJPs therefore should all be geared up for a great workshop. Take out those cell phones, cameras, mics and 'reporter-voices'. Cellphone Journalism, here we come!
By: Nqobile (Buthelezi) Sibisi
FJP Assistant Coordinator
