Sri Lanka: Shaping the future of journalism training

The Thomson Foundation advises on curriculum development in Sri Lanka a country where the needs of the media industry are changing, following its recovery from 30 years of conflict. David Quin reports.

Whose needs come first the student journalist's or the media industry's? Thats the basic question TF set out to answer with the advisory panel of the Sri Lankan College of Journalists, (SLCJ) last week during a three-day workshop in Colombo.

New challenges SLCJ has a strong reputation for educating new and mid-career journalists. But with jobs in the Sri Lanka media sector scarce and getting scarcer, and with new media presenting challenges and opportunities across the island, it was time for a fresh look at the course.

Over three days, the nine-person SCLJ advisory board, made of up leading media academics and editors from across the island, was asked to refocus attention on the industrys needs today, while keeping a strong element in the one-year course on media studies as a academic subject.

The workshops, led by TFs deputy director of development, David Quin, sought to get the balance right for a country that is rapidly changing after nearly 30 years of civil conflict.

Fluid situation' "Its a fluid situation in Sri Lanka, with varying demands on new reporters depending on where they are on the island, what media they are looking to go into and how editors are responding to market pressures," said David.

"Our job was to help draw up the outline of a curriculum that can face these challenges and bring into the marketplace journalists equipped to deal with them - be they legal, ethical or technological."

With a wealth of experience both in the media and as educators, the panel brought a host of new ideas to the table for the college going forward over the next few years.

SCLJ panel member, Thomson Foundation alumnus and Agence France-Presse Sri Lanka bureau chief, Amal Jayasinghe, said the task was to create a course that blended academic rigour with practical skills"telescoping an over-long syllabus into something short, sharp and stimulating".

Strong track record "I am sure the work of the SLCJ trainers will be made that much easier and more exciting with the new curriculum were able to agree on after three days of intense debate and discussion."

The Thomson Foundation has a strong track record of working in Sri Lanka, which already has a detailed curriculum for the media profession already established, based on the widely-used UNESCO model curricula for teaching journalism in developing countries.

LINK:	http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/news-and-features/2013/04/04/sri-lank...
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