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Handbook on African Media Policy for Educators launched
Creating a broad understanding of the media ecosystem, which needs to be underpinned by a solid policy, is among the challenges in journalism and media education. In order to strengthen media institutions in Africa, the Namibia Media Trust (NMT) with support from the UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) developed the 鈥楾eaching Media Policy in Africa: A handbook for media educators鈥. The handbook was launched during a virtual conference held on 16 November 2021 under the theme, 鈥淔uture of Journalism Education in Southern Africa鈥.
The handbook was developed in line with the UNESCO IPDC Global Initiative for Excellence in Journalism Education, which was established to build the capacity of journalism schools to hone the competencies of the next generation of African journalists. The handbook enables media educators throughout Africa to raise awareness and impact the media ecology on a national and regional basis.
The curriculum for journalism education in Africa was developed in accordance with the 30 years of the Windhoek Declaration and in honour of the lifework of press freedom activist Jeanette Minnie who helped shape media policy in Southern Africa and died in 2016.
Speaking during the virtual conference, NMT Director Zoe Titus said the handbook was developed by top African media policy experts.
The online course was used as a platform to critically analyse the journalism environment in Africa in order to develop a professional learning media environment that is able to address the African media challenges.
Speaking on the issue of media policy, Fray College Academic Head, Sandra Roberts said, legislation enacted nationally in various contexts can impact media freedom and freedom of expression.
Roberts stressed that activists and anyone interested in the sustainability of media, need to understand the international agreements that affect these crucial pillars of democracy to defend the sector and truth as a whole.
The Global Initiative for Excellence in Journalism Education seeks to place the success stories amongst the African centres at the heart of promoting international collegial discussion and sharing of perspectives of excellence in teaching, research and professional outreach.
UNESCO鈥檚 support for journalism education is underpinned by a strong conviction that professional journalistic standards are essential to bring out the potential of media systems to foster democracy, dialogue and development.
