1.0 Background
1.1 Title of the Programme
The programme will be called the ‘Master of Arts in Journalism and Multimedia’.
1.2 Introduction
The Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) proposes to introduce a Master of Arts in Journalism and Multimedia (MAJM) with effect from the academic year 2022/2023. The current MA in Journalism and Communication will be discontinued once the MAJM is approved. This programme is designed to develop academic knowledge as well as practical skills in the practice of journalism at an advanced level. It explores theory and practice and the social, political, economic, cultural, and global contexts in which the media work. Alongside this, students will also develop a deeper understanding of the trends in new media, enabling them to engage confidently with aspects of new media and digital technology.
1.3 Program Description
The MAJM is a graduate degree programme that will focus on preparing students interested in professional growth and advancement in the area of journalism and multimedia. The curriculum is designed to equip students with functional knowledge, theory and evidence-based journalism and media management practices based on the trends and needs in the industry. The programme will develop students’ understanding, and equip them with skills and methods needed to work in the journalism industry at an advanced level. From inception, the Department’s training at graduate level has emphasised the provision of teaching that resonates with the trends and contemporary developments in the media industry. Therefore, in offering this programme, the Department aims to achieve greater contribution and focused attention to the advances in the media industry, including trends such as mobile journalism, digital news production and the use of the latest news technology and production tools.
1.4 Rationale
The program will provide students with comprehensive understanding and practical skills in journalism and multimedia production. It is addresses to prospective students who plan to advance and grow their career in journalism and media work and to enhance their media production and management skills. Students are expected to develop competencies across a spectrum of relevant focuses areas and themes, including media theory, ethical journalism, digital journalism production, mobile journalism, media management, media regulation among others.
1.5 Justification of the Programme
This programme has been conceived as a result of the ever-increasing demand for advanced training in journalism and multimedia. In offering this programme, the Department aims to guarantee that the students will receive an appropriate, well-founded, high quality education and skills base, as well as, a comprehensive understanding of journalism, mass media and communication.
Similarly, the MAJM curriculum is designed to develop a student’s journalistic skills in a multimedia context. It balances training in theory, skills and research methods. This balance is the hallmark of the MAJM programme as is reflected in the learning pedagogies on which the curriculum is premised.
In so doing, the Master of Arts in Journalism and Multimedia will give the Department a framework for preparing students to respond to the new professional realities and to meet the expectations of the market. Thus, the MAJM programme presumes relevant undergraduate preparation or equivalent professional experience in journalism, mass media and communication.
On successful completion of this programme, students will have acquired the intellectual ability, knowledge and skills in various aspects of journalism, media and communication. Students will be able to engage critically with contemporary issues relevant to the political, social and cultural roles of journalism, media and communication in society. They should have the skills to investigate the quantitative and qualitative approaches necessary for analysing all aspects of communication processes, from media organizations, media professionals and production to media content, audiences and cultural consumption. This should help to improve further the performance in the journalism and media sectors in the country, and contribute to overall national development. Students should also have capacity to undertake critical reading of scholarly works and to write well-researched academic papers, policy briefs and theses.
1.6 Program Aim
To develop essential knowledge and functional skills in journalism theory and practice as well as effective industry needs-driven media management practices.
1.7 Objectives of the MA Journalism and Multimedia
The MAJM aims to offer practitioners in the areas of journalism and multimedia an opportunity to acquire advanced knowledge and skills to enhance their practice in areas of specific relevance to the nation and the region. It also aims to enlarge the cadre of people with the knowledge and skills to engage in academic inquiry, research, publication, critique and/or teaching in the fast-growing field of journalism and multimedia in the country and the region. The objectives of the programme are therefore:
(i) To deepen students’ understanding of journalism and Multimedia in the national and international contexts.
(ii) To equip students with the requisite skills to critically examine the cultural, political and economic context within which journalism and Multimedia take place.
(iii) To equip students with the requisite skills to conduct research in the areas of journalism and Multimedia.
(iv) To enable practitioners in journalism and Multimedia to sharpen their knowledge and skills in their areas of specialization as well as make connections between theory and practice.
(v) To prepare students to cope with the rapid changes in technology and practice in the field of journalism and Multimedia.
1.8 Programme Outcomes
At the successful completion of the programme, graduates of the MAJM will:
iii. Conduct rigorous research in the areas of journalism and multimedia.
1.9 Employment Prospects
With the advent on social media and new online tools, the field of journalism and multimedia has gained significant popularity and relevance in today’s rapidly changing world. This programme puts emphasis on the current and changing trends in the online journalism and multimedia world to allow students to connect well with ongoing and future demands in the industry.
Thus, the programme prepares students for a variety of jobs in the wide scope of journalism and multimedia. More specifically, students who complete this programme will be ready to earn employment in jobs such as: print journalists, online journalists, broadcast journalists for radio and television, media consultants, media policy and regulation consultants, research careers in journalism and multimedia, academic employees, corporate affairs manager, communication officers, media planners, social media content creators and managers among other emerging fields.