Caribbean journalists, both practising and prospective, will soon be invited to apply for the new one-year, full-time Certificate in Journalism programme, scheduled to begin at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus, Faculty of Humanities and Education, in January, 2011.
The Certificate in Journalism is designed for beginners and for practising journalists who want to be prepared to perform more effectively in a 21st century media environment.
“The assumption is that this programme is not just going to talk about Journalism, but that learning activities will be very experiential in their orientation,” said Ms Patricia Worrell, Programme Coordinator, speaking at the programme launch on October 27th at the Office of the Campus Principal, UWI St Augustine.
Worrell explained that one highlight of the programme would be a six-week internship with a media organisation selected by the student and approved by the University. The internship is designed to provide students with authentic experiences of what it is like to work as a journalist. Interns will also have the opportunity to learn from the practical experiences of persons who know the challenges and the benefits of following a career in journalism.
The Certificate in Journalism programme, which Worrell described as “a collaborative effort” between the university and the media industry, will be staffed by lecturers from the UWI, as well as by highly experienced media practitioners. The programme incorporates different approaches to on-campus course delivery: in addition to traditional lecture formats, students will take part in workshops where they perform different roles and functions as writers and editors. They will also have access to online material and discussions.
Worrell emphasised that the focus of the Certificate programme was not limited to developing foundational and technical competence, but included issues such as the ethical values and legal framework undergirding the profession.
“Part of the thinking behind the programme is that we recognise that there are certain gaps that might need to be filled. [There are] obviously certain issues in terms of technical competencies, but also sometimes in terms of values,” Worrell said, adding that even practising journalists are among those whose skills and attitudes in these areas may need to be developed.
“We have seen journalists who have had wonderful intentions but have fallen afoul of the law, journalists who have had wonderful intentions but perhaps overstepped the mark…It is important to be sensitive to legal and ethical realities,” Worrell said.
Worrell’s audience included several members of the media, a cross-section of the management of Trinidad and Tobago media houses. Seated at the head table beside her were Ken Gordon, Publisher Emeritus and former CEO of Caribbean Communications Network (CCN); Professor Clement Sankat, St Augustine Campus Principal; Kiran Maharaj, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA); and Professor Funso Aiyejina, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, who chaired the proceedings.
Professor Sankat described the new programme as an example of the University’s ongoing commitment to respond effectively to the demands of the evolving Caribbean society: “This programme in journalism demonstrates our keen commitment as a university to respond to our stakeholders’ needs and to provide customised training in a discipline that is critical to our growth and development as a society, a country and a region.”
The guiding philosophy of the programme, said Professor Sankat, is an understanding of the critical role of a competent and independent media in sustained regional development. Professor Sankat thanked Mr Gordon for his financial support, without which, he said, the programme launch would not have been possible.
Mr Gordon, when his turn came to speak, said that the programme was “long overdue” and praised
Sunity Maharaj and Peter Ames (another member of the TTPBA executive) for their sterling contributions behind closed doors. He also singled out Professor Sankat as deserving of praise for lending the political will needed to make the dream a reality.
The dream is still alive. Kiran Maharaj voiced the hope that, within a year, the Certificate programme would become a three-year undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree programme.
For more information, please contact Patricia Worrell, Programme Coordinator, at patricia.worrell@sta.uwi.edu or (868) 663 1334 Ext. 3405.
