Putting Forward Sustainability as a Model for Journalism Education and Training

Bibliographic Data

ID12909435
AuthorsNancy Booker (Aga Khan University Nairobi), Bruce Mutsvairo (0000-0001-7520-9739, Utrecht University, corresponding author), Dinesh Baliah (University of the Witwatersrand), Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey (0000-0002-3160-9607, Durban University of Technology), Kristoffer Holt (0000-0003-2017-1117, Linnaeus University), Lars Tallert (MediaTek (China)), Jean Mujati (Linnaeus University)
Year2024
Volume19
Issue12
Pages2744-2768
Publication date2024-05-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-2786 • E-ISSN: 1751-2794
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17512786.2024.2344626
OpenAlexW4396592042
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited34

African journalism practice presents unique opportunities and challenges that require journalists to be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and values to engage in sustainable journalism. Training institutions play a critical role in ensuring that journalists are not only professionally-ready to execute their mandate but also that they can safeguard and promote ethical values in their everyday work. Some of these values include “truth telling, independence, objectivity, fairness, inclusivity and social justice” (Gade, Nduka, and Dastger 2017, 10). Africa, like other regions of the Global South, has several journalism training institutions that provide an opportunity to challenge “hegemonic epistemologies and ontologies of Western-centric journalism studies” (Mutsvairo et al. 2021, 993). In the context of this submission, the present study investigates the current state of sustainable journalism in Africa. We examined data based on a syllabi analysis of journalism programs in Kenya, South Africa and Ghana to appraise what role sustainable journalism education and training could play in Africa. Findings show that efforts are already in place across select learning and training institutions but also point to profound gaps in the curriculum, pedagogy and resources needed to prepare journalists for sustainable journalism

Business · Economics · Environmental economics · Geography · Higher education · Journalism · Media studies · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Sustainability · Training (meteorology · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics