News
Online Diploma in Journalism Officially Takes Off
This training to journalists, who are in the first cohort of the diploma programme that is new of its kind in the country, was held in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza on Tuesday and Wednesday this week respectively.
The coordinator of the programme, Dr. Darius Mukiza said the training is introducing the said journalists in the Moodle System, an online simplified system, which will enable them to be conversant with the programme and use the online system easily and fruitful.
Dr. Mukiza said that online studies have their challenges but with commitment and hard work, it is possible to perform well and pass examinations so that one could graduate with a Diploma in Journalism.
Relatedly, the trainer from the University of Dar es Salaam, Amina Kiluwasha said that learning online could be effective and efficient if students can follow all important procedures and guidelines set. She added that students could be able to learn faster online, re-read materials and get enough room to read at their own pace.
One of the training participants in Mwanza, William Joseph from Kahama FM thanked UNESCO for giving him an opportunity to undertake the Online Diploma in Journalism through their sponsorship. He also thanked the trainers from the University of Dar es Salaam for inclusion and engagement during the sessions.
The two-day training is part of the E-Learning platform assistance to community radio journalists, a generous support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through UNESCO, which is aimed to help them acquire the required basic qualifications as stipulated in the Media Services Act of 2016 and its subsequent Regulations of 2017.
The new Act and related regulations require all practising journalists to have a minimum qualification of a Diploma in Journalism or media-related studies for them to be eligible for accreditation as professional journalists.
Apart from Mwanza and Dar es Salaam, similar sessions will take place in Mbeya and Arusha this week, and which will involve journalists from several regions in the country.
UNESCO through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) funded project, 鈥淓mpowering Local Radios with ICTs for the Promotion of Rural Citizens鈥 Participation in Democratic Discourse and Development鈥, supports 25 community radios as well as the network of community media in Tanzania (TADIO).
The support is meant to ensure that people in Tanzania, especially the poor, women and girls, have the capacity to make informed decisions on issues that affect their daily lives based on access to relevant, culturally appropriate, gender responsive accurate information and knowledge.
