Digital communications are expanding opportunities to create new kinds and new forms of media and to engage new audiences. Journalists and media makers are also increasingly having to operate independently, rather than depending on long-term employment in large media institutions. This requires a new creativity and entrepreneurship in setting up and finding one’s own outlets in the marketplace. This is a course for journalists or media makers who want to prepare for this changing world by understanding what is involved in creating new media and new media enterprises in Africa. It is ideal for someone or a team who is interested in starting a new media vehicle, to transform an existing one or to work on new ideas for transforming or fixing ‘broken’ parts of the media system.
The course involves each student or team working on an individual project in which they develop a plan for a new media product or service. Projects can be for a new media product or service or for a new tool that will help journalists, media makers or audiences.
The course is being run by Phillip Mogodi, a mining engineer and entrepreneur, and manager of the Journalism and Media Lab Accelerator Programme at Wits. There will also be guest talks from founders of media start-ups and from digital innovators in major media houses.
Requirements
Course attendance is a DP requirement. If a significant number of classes are missed in the first half of the course, the convenor reserves the right to not allow the student to complete the course. This is an important requirement since each person contributes to the learning in the group.
We expect participants to be able to commit to at least 1 to 1.5 days per week working on their projects outside class time.
Assessment
Assessment will be based on assignments given during the course and participation during the course and a final assignment which is made up of a presentation and submission. Masters students will be required to submit an additional case study.
Honours
The final assignment and presentation constitute 70% of the mark for this course. 30% is for class participation, submissions and presentations during the course. If you work in a team of two then 50% of the final assignment mark will be shared and 50% of the mark will be individualized based on the identified sections of the background document completed by each student.
Masters/PGDA
Final assignment 60%; Case Study 30%, class presentations and participation 10%. The same marking system for teams as set out for Honours students will apply.
Certificate Students (Pass)
Marking is as per Honours students but only passes are given.
