Appropriate
curriculum design for teaching journalism at tertiary level
Paper
presented at conference"Developments in Higher Education," Johannesburg
by
Guy Berger, May 1996
Curriculum
design must be appropriate to journalism as an activity sui generis, and to
that activity in contemporary South Africa. The curriculum needs to be located
in terms of other subjects journalism students might
or should study. Within journalism itself, multiple medium skills and a foundation
in writing are recommended. Teaching should
concentrate on prioritising editorial skills and place the purely technical
in this context. In addition to production skills, journalism studies, media
studies and communication studies, centred on journalism as an activity, should
be part of the curriculum. The theory practice dichotomy must be replaced by
a curriculum which ensures that academic skills and knowledge are linked with
journalistic skills. Academy industry relations are encouraged, and an integrated
mix of teachers is recommended. Current curricula must target black students
especially, and provide for working journalists and youth. The journalism curriculum
is never final and must be continuously revised by journalism educators who
themselves undergo continuous learning.