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Guy Berger, Rhodes University. Oct 2009 Social organising of AJE: is it the right time to be born ?. Coming up . Introduction Us – the constituency Social capital Experiences WJEC possibilities. 1. INTRODUCTION. Referent: m-e-d-i-a. Me/We?. Age of social networking via ICT.
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Guy Berger, Rhodes University. Oct 2009Social organising of AJE: is it the right time to be born?
Coming up • Introduction • Us – the constituency • Social capital • Experiences • WJEC possibilities
Social organising of AJE Complexities and prospects
Complexities in organising J-Eds • Pushed and Pulled between • Industry (and government?) • Academy • Students • Plus “journalism” educ (re: PR, etc) • Plus TV/print/online/media studies
Other complexities, + Africa • Academy: individualism, competitive • Attitudes and backgrounds: • Retirees, refugees, remote rangers. • Identity: Not ‘solid’ like a ‘journalist’. • Other IDs - gender, nation, languages. • Varying African media & educ regimes • Very different from AEJMC experience.
Network theory The participants - nodes and hubs? ?
Social capital Benefits: • Investment & returns angle • “Sustainable growth” logic • Trust & participation is NB
Networks & communities • Social value through connections • Bonding • Bridging • Linking • Apply to sector, and apply to individual schools…
Some pre-history • ACCE, Petasa, BETA, Samtrainº • Sanef – Educ & Train sub-comm√ • UNESCO – criteria (17 schools) √ • UNESCO – data (30 schools) √ • UNESCO – follow up meetings ± • March 08, Sept 08, May 09 • Mixed results
Drivers for Social Capital formation • Simplicity (eg. produce a paper) • Focus (eg. the question of “Africa”) • Possibility of resources • Quest for relevance to media • Travel and meeting people
Limitations • Tasks that are complex, scattered • Time-consuming • Organisational skill and accountability for follow-up • When there are no clear or visible benefits
WJEC IN CONTEXT • http://wjec.ru.ac.za
PAN-AFRICAN BONDING/BRIDGING • Submit a panel? (low response) • Submit a paper, OR be a reviewer • “Reporting Africa” model syllabus • Has a clear focus • African identity vis a vis external.
WJEC: Social capital bridges & links • Most value comes from difference • Relationships across divides • Extra-African schools will get value from Africans at WJEC. • Africans will get bi-lateral values. • Africans will maintain interest by UNESCO, possibly other linkages (KAS) • But: Intra-AJE social capital?
Summing up: Ideally, we need to work for all 3: bonding, bridging and linking via the WJEC. (It won’t just happen) • Biggest prize? • Sustainability of intra-African bonding-bridging? • Future of UNESCO’s dedicated website?
Adding it all up: • Absence of a strong network, and potentials. • AJE – a difficult constituency • Social capital relationships • Experiences and lessons: bridging • What works, what doesn’t • WJEC possibilities (and others?)…
Is it really time for social networking of African journalism educators? “Time will tell” We need informed prediction. YEAH or NAY?