Ernest Sumelong
5 May 2008
Journalists have been told to consider more than pedestal reporting if they have to set the agenda, play their watchdog role and meet the expectations of the society.
Saturday, May 3, the Southwest Chapter of the Cameroon Union of Journalists, CUJ, gathered practising journalists and students of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, JMC, of the University of Buea, to reflect on the issue of training and the expectations of journalists by the society.
The CUJ maiden exercise, which took place at the University of Buea and involved students of some boarding secondary schools in Buea and trainees of the Buea Institute of the Blind, was part of activities to commemorate World Press Freedom Day.
The exercise had two topics for reflection, with practising journalists reflecting on whether journalism and communication training in Cameroon has fulfilled the goals of graduates, practitioners and met the aspirations of society, while the student journalists reflected on whether press freedom is necessary for developing countries.
In the outcome, journalists argued that journalism institutions need to build up their curricula to make journalism training whole, and better equip graduates for the never-ending societal challenges. Also, student journalists contended that developing countries need other pressing things than press freedom.
On his part, the Nigerian Consul General to the Northwest and Southwest Provinces of Cameroon, Dr. Kenneth Nsor, in his talk on The Green Tree Agreement and the Role of the Nigerian Press in Promoting Confidence Building Measures, said the Nigerian press has been instrumental in influencing public opinion and determining the political agenda of the government of Nigeria on the provisions of the Accord.
The Diplomat told reporters that with regards to the confidence building measures the Cameroonian press has a basic role to play in informing the society and letting it know what confidence building is all about.
The topics for reflection, according to CUJ Southwest President, Robert Abunaw, were to jolt journalism training institutions to know that their training is yet to meet all the challenges graduates face in the field.
Abunaw said it is important for journalists in training to know the other side of freedom of the press."We aimed at using this day as a day of reflection and training and also as a day to remind the trainers of our trainees that journalism has a way and a future and the future must start with the young people," he believed.
Deputising for the Head of Department, Che Tita admitted that the training by the JMC Department could not be perfect but that they work constantly to improve on their curricula.
Other deficiencies that mar the journalism profession were pointed out to include lack of investigative reporting, publication of rumour, sensationalism and unbalanced reporting.
World Press Freedom Day was set aside by the United Nations in 1993 to reflect on the job of journalists and their working conditions.
This year's celebration was under the theme "Press Freedom, Access and Empowerment."
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