Institute of Advancement of Journalism: briefing

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Communications and Digital Technologies

14 September 1999
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COMMUNICATIONS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
14 September 1999
INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF JOURNALISM: BRIEFING

 

Documents handed out:
Information Brochure (attached below)

Institute for the Advancement of Journalism Presentation
The director, Mr H Lewin gave a slide presentation on the projects and various training courses offered by them.

Institute for the Advancement of Journalism
The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) was established in 1992, in association with the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, to promote and support a free and independent press in South Africa and the rest of Southern Africa.

The Institute has dedicated itself to improving the standards arid practices of print and broadcast journalism. Its goals are to promote accuracy, thoroughness, innovation and a crusading spirit in reporting and to hone the skills needed to inform the public effectively.

To this end, the Institute offers short-term training courses in both the print media and in broadcasting [radio and television] taught by experienced professionals and covering a wide range of topics. The courses are designed for working journalists operating in the changing environment of South Africa's developing democracy, as well as for working journalists from the rest of Africa.

In addition to offering full-time courses on its own site, the Institute also undertakes consultancy and creates training programmes to meet the needs of individual media organisations. and to take training out to communities where there are few facilities for professional upgrading.

Courses are open to all working journalists. The Institute places special emphasis on providing support for journalists disadvantaged by past policies of discrimination in education and in the workplace. Strong and independent media and a well-informed public are essential in South Africa today the foundations for a society based on free speech and official accountability.

The Institute is also actively seeking to foster stronger ties with journalists in the rest of Africa, to promote the reintegration of South Africa into the continent and to provide support for journalists working in less developed countries, often under difficult conditions.

Questions by committee members
Ms Smuts (DP) asked what happened to the Danish funding they received.
Mr Lewin said that they received funding from Norway, and not from Denmark. These funds are used for community radio training.

Dr Mulder (FF) asked to what extent is training given to non-English speakers?
Mr Lewin said that they have a programme, which puts across the idea of a newsroom being a single unit, consisting of editors, writers and photographers. The stories we read should therefore be a composition of a number of people. Most of our training is given in the English language, due to our small staff of trainers. We are therefore concentrating on developing various language trainers.

 

 

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