Studies in Communication Education/ Journalism Training

A Strategic Communication Model for Sustainable Initiatives in Higher Education Institutions

Lucille Mazo & Iain Macpherson

Abstract

Communicating sustainable initiatives in higher education institutions presents a challenge, given that few to no universities possess or maintain a strategic communication plan that addresses the need to share this information effectively to stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community advocates). Drawing on secondary and primary research across universities in three countries, each representing distinct regional and national orientations – Canada, Ecuador, and Ukraine – the authors explain a sustainability/environmental communication model designed to be flexible enough for universal application, while providing strategic guidelines tailored to higher education institutions in each of its four described steps. The strategic communication model is informed by the critical synthesis of secondary research into two main areas of literature: (1) strategic communication theory and best practice; and (2) the organizational dissemination of sustainability initiatives, particularly within post-secondary institutions. Such secondary literature informs, and is in turn contributed to by, the authors’ primary research that was conducted, which consists of three parts: (1) discourse analysis of relevant institutional documents and promotional materials; (2) interviews about current practices in sustainability-related communication, conducted with higher education sustainability administrators; and, (3) focus groups with students, examining participant awareness and assessment of their institution’s sustainability communications. Based on such study, the authors advance a strategic communication model for sustainable initiatives, which comprises a four-step process based on a series of eight questions, with the first step providing comprehensive explication of a seven-component strategic planning framework that scales downward from the most abstract considerations to concrete tactics. In summary, the primary – and secondary

– research data suggests that most universities, even if they implement sustainability initiatives or officially incorporate environmentalism into their institutional identity statements (mission, vision, etc.), fail to communicate these actions informatively and persuasively, thereby establishing widespread need for this paper’s offered strategic guidance.

Keywords: strategic communication model, sustainability, higher education

https://www.athensjournals.gr/media/2017-3-4-3-Mazo.pdf

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Assessment of Computer-Mediated Teacher Self Disclosure on Students’ Motivation, Affective Learning and Classroom Climate

Joseph, Sonia E.

Abstract

Assessment of Computer-Mediated Teacher Self Disclosure on Students’ Motivation, Affective Learning and Classroom Climate was designed to ascertain if the students follow their teachers on social networking sites, the contents of their teachers’ social network communication, whether these contents influence the student/ teacher relationship in classroom and to find out if the contents encourage affective learning among the students. The study was based on violation expectation and Communication privacy management theory of mass communication. The study which was premised in COOU students adopted the survey research method to achieve its research objectives. Finding revealed that the contents of the lecturers facebook wall are mostly uncalled for and that such contents does not in any positive way encourage academic growth and development of the students among others. The researcher therefore, recommended that the lecturers should always consider the level of their personal self disclosure online and be morally guided self-censoring themselves in order to avoid the disrespect that such disclosure could attract.

(p.ikegbunam@yahoo.com or 07036280407)

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Journalists not spies. The importance of the legal distinction for the protection of journalists

during armed conflicts

Mariateresa Garrido Villareal, University for Peace

Abstract

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) has long-claimed that recognition as a civilian is critical to a journalist’s safety during war, but the new US Manual blurs that line

and says journalists must better understand the distinction between civilians and combatants. Given the fact that journalists might not be familiar with these legal

concepts, this article proposes the use of critical pedagogy to engage them in the consideration of those issues (Freire, 2000). To start the conversation, and following a

legal methodology, the article analyzes protections established under IHL, provides legal definitions for combatants, spies, and civilians and explains how each should

be treated. Then to promote the inclusion on this topic in academic curriculums, it present teaching experiences and recommendations to engage media personnel in the

study of this topic.

Journalism Education; Volume 6 number 2

file:///C:/Users/DELL/AppData/Local/Temp/journalists%20not%20spies.pdf

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Exploring the Practice of Teacher-Student Classroom Interaction in EFL to Develop the Learners’ Speaking Skills in Tullu Sangota Primary School Grade Eight Students in Focus

Habtamu Walga Adaba^*

Ambo University, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ethiopia

Abstract

In the process of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), classroom interaction takes an important place. Teachers need to apply appropriate classroom interaction to facilitate language learning in reality since interaction is in the heart of communication in an era of communicative language teaching. Therefore, the purpose of this study was conducted to assess teachers’ application of classroom interaction on developing the students speaking skills in Tullu Sangota Primary school grade 8. Specifically, the study was intended to assess whether the teacher uses a variety of classroom interactions. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, a descriptive survey method was used and the data were gathered through questionnaires, classroom observation, and interview. Both open-ended and close-ended questionnaires were distributed to the sample students and semi-structured interview questions were employed with sample English teachers. Observation was also held based on checklist and chosen criteria in accordance with the objective of the study. To assess teachers’ application of classroom interaction on developing students speaking skills, 100 sample students from grade 8 and 4 English teachers were taken for the study from Tullu Sangota Primary Schools. The collected data was analyzed using percentage and frequency. Based on the information gathered through the above instruments and its results and discussion, the findings of the study revealed that teachers rarely played their role to develop the students speaking skills in the classroom due to lack of awareness, having negative attitude toward classroom interaction, lack of simple materials to practice classroom interaction, low participation of the students in the class, and lack of access of teaching aids inhibits the teachers to apply classroom interaction. Based on the implications of the findings, recommendation was made to language teachers, students, Tullu Sangota Primary, Ministry of Education and concerned bodies. Finally, on the bases of the findings, it was recommended that in order to improve the students speaking skill: The students have to practice in classroom interaction to develop their speaking skill in the target language by actively participating in the classroom speaking. In addition, teachers also ought to play a prominent role to improve the students speaking skill by using an appropriate classroom interaction which give equal chance for the students to participate actively in the classroom interaction.

Keywords

Interaction; Classroom interaction; Speaking; Language input; Language output; CLT

(Source: Arts & Social Sciences Journal, 8: 295)

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/exploring-the-practice-of-teacherstudent-classroom-interaction-in-eflto-develop-the-learners-speaking-skills-in-tullu-sangota-prim-2151-6200-1000295.php?aid=94091

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Technology Mediated Media Education: A Case Study of E-Learning Initiatives in India

Manoj D^*

Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Tezpur Univeristy, Assam, India

Abstract

With several new innovations in Information and Communication Technology and the increasing interaction of the users with the all-pervasive digital world, the need for a change from conventional textbook learning to multimedia e-learning has increased tremendously. Powerful simulation and web-based experimental opportunities need to be explored to enable learners to acquire new knowledge and skills. This paper aims to explore the advantages of e-learning pedagogy over conventional teaching methods. At the same time, the paper also aims to describe the state-of-the-art technology used for media education through e-learning in India.

Keywords

E-learning; Virtual classroom; Blended learning; Multimedia in education; E-simulation; Media education

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/technology-mediated-media-education-a-case-study-of-elearninginitiatives-in-india-2165-7912-1000337.php?aid=90912

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Learning safety education from journalism educations in the global south. A postscript.

Roy Krøvel, Professor of Journalism, Oslo

and

Akershus University College for Applied Sciences (HiOA)

Abstract

The article recaps the main findings of the investigations presented in this special issue and seeks to answer the question “What can Northern journalism educators do to improve safety during fieldwork in the Global South?” The article builds mainly on qualitative interviews with former journalism students who have done journalism fieldwork in dangerous situations as part of journalism education in Norway. It concludes by recommending the

building of networks of mutual aid across countries and continents to research journalism safety and enlist the help of educators around the world in the training of journalism students.

Source: Journalism Education; Volume 6 number 2

file:///C:/Users/DELL/AppData/Local/Temp/Learning safety education.pdf

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Training journalists in times of transition:the case of Kosovo

Abit Hoxha, LMU Munich, Germany; Kenneth Andresen, professor of media studies at the University of Agder, Norway.

Abstract:

With Kosovo as its case, this article explores the context and challenges of journalism education in transition societies. Journalists in Kosovo have lived through constant changes from authoritarian to democracy. In this struggle, journalism education has never been stable and steady. The past conflict events of the destruction of Yugoslavia haunts present day journalism in challenging human rights, ethics and even business model of Kosovar media. The traumatic past, conflict and ethic animosity is still present in the public discourse among Kosovar journalists due to political resistance of the leadership of the entire region to take steps towards recognizing conflicting past and the atrocities that happened. Over the last decade, new journalism schools have been founded both in public and private sector which reflects significant increase in quality reporting. By utilizing previous research, including data from the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS) in Kosovo, the article discusses the aspect of transitional journalism in Kosovo, which focuses on transitional justice and looks at the problems from a human rights approach, including the education of journalists in the field of human rights but instead of learning from top down

approach. The data in the article show journalistic roles shifting from traditional watchdog to activist role which challenges journalistic professionalism at a time when journalism education in higher education is in its infancy. The article exposes the need for practical, tailored training about the realities of political pressure, history and the transition. As one of the significant gaps in the teaching journalism in Kosovo is in relation to dealing with the

past, a lack of taught courses for journalists entering the media market is seen as a weakness of the education system in Kosovo along with other structural problems in

the media. Technology, globalization, rapid development of social media leave much to be desired in the journalism education in Kosovo.

Source: Journalism Education; Volume 6 number 2

file:///C:/Users/DELL/AppData/Local/Temp/training%20journalists.pdf

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Status of training and research in reporting conflict, peace journalism and safety

education in English speaking West Africa: the cases of Ghana, Nigeria and

Sierra Leone

Umaru A. Pate, Professor, Faculty of Communication, Bayero

University, Kano, Nigeria;

Lai Oso, Professor, School of Communication, Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria; Abubakar Jibril, Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Taraba

University, Jalingo, Nigeria

Introduction

Journalism and mass communication are popular programmes with a high rate of appli-

cants in tertiary institutions in the fifteen West African countries in the Economic Commu-

nity of West African States (ECOWAS).In these countries, universities, polytechnics and journalism institutions are either introducing or strengthening their teaching and research activities in the discipline. They have been mainstreaming emerging issues in theory, methodology, technology, as well as contextual circumstances. The fifteen countries have

a combined population of 400 million. They are multicultural, diverse, conflict prone and economically disadvantaged. However, the increasing interest accorded to the training and safety of journalists across the region hardly translates into their total safety and protection. Progressively, they continue to experience personal and professional threats in reporting many of the violent conflicts and terror attacks that frequently erupt in their countries especially in the last fifteen years (Pate, 2017). Worrying, too, these countries have remained highly prone to recurrent conflicts and violent extremism as socio-economic and political conditions get increasingly desperate.

(See full paper at: Journalism Education; Volume 6 number 2

file:///C:/Users/DELL/AppData/Local/Temp/Status%20of%20training.pdf)

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Adoptability and acceptability of peace journalism among Afghan photojournalists: Lessons for peace journalism training in conflict-affected countries

Saumava Mitra, University of Western Ontario

Abstract

In this article, I seek to inform Peace Journalism (PJ) education and training in conflict-affected countries in particular. Based on a case study of the professional experiences of Afghan photojournalists, I offer insights into the acceptability and adoptability of PJ practice by journalists from conflict-affected countries. I present six key findings of a larger study on Afghan photojournalists in this article and discuss the lessons they hold for PJ training in conflict-affected countries. In sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, I provide some important theoretical, contextual and methodological background. In section 6, I discuss three

professional adversities faced by Afghan photojournalists and evaluate the obstacles that implementation of PJ faces as a result of them. In section 7, I describe one professional motivator for Afghan photojournalists and discuss the opportunity it presents for PJ adoption. Insection 8, I describe two other constraints faced by Afghan photojournalists related specifically to donor-funded media development in post-2001 Afghanistan and discuss their implications for PJ training. Finally in section 9, while noting the limitations of the current study, I offer two ways forward for PJ training in conflict-affected

countries like Afghanistan.

Source: Journalism Education; Volume 6 number 2

file:///C:/Users/DELL/AppData/Local/Temp/Adoptability%20and%20acceptability.pdf

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Freedom of expression and threats to journalists’ safety: an analysis of conflict reporting in journalism education in Pakistan

Dr. Sadia Jamil

Introduction

The threat of violence against journalists in Pakistan is very real. Pakistan is a front line

state in the war on terror and media workers and news reporters reporting from the front

line therefore face huge risks. According to a United Nation’s estimate, at least 71 journalists and media workers have lost their lives since 2001 while pursuing their duties in Pakistan. Consequently, the country has been named as one of the deadliest places for working journalists in the world, suggesting the necessity of regular evaluation of

threats to journalists’ safety in the country (www.IFJ.org). Ironically, it is not just journalists’ lives that are at risk in Pakistan. The country’s educational institutions are also the target of terrorist attacks. In spite of increasing threats to journalists’ safety and educational

institutions, the role of academia in promoting journalists’ safety education is not well-investigated and distinct in Pakistan. Therefore, drawing on the new institutionalism theory, this study explores the diverse threats that affect journalists’ routine work and their freedom of expression focussing on Pakistan. The study aims to investigate whether Pakistani journalists receive safety training and education to carry out their routine work.

(See full paper at: Journalism Education; Volume 6 number 2

file:///C:/Users/DELL/AppData/Local/Temp/freedom%20of%20express.pdf)