Journalism and Mass Communication Education in Nigeria:in Search of the Right Pedagogy

Abstract

The intervention of technology in media operations has altered, albeit in a positive way, the ecology of mass communication across the globe. However, the speed of the adoption and diffusion of innovations in the contemporary media industry is posing a great challenge to media educators as the newsroom appears to be constantly ahead of the classroom, especially in the developing world. In Nigeria, like other developing nations, Journalism/Mass Communication educators grapple with the challenge of ever-increasing innovations and try to incorporate such realities in the curriculum. After over one hundred and fifty two years of journalism practice in Nigeria, the concerns of journalism and mass communication educators remain how to ensure an effective blend of journalism curriculum with the constantly changing needs of the media industry. The basic issue and recurrent themes at intellectual gatherings seem to resonate Michelle Seelig’s (2010:245) posers: “What is it educators are preparing Journalism or Mass Communication majors to do?”; “What are educators going to do to keep up with the technology changes in the media industry?”

Journalism education, as Knight (2012: 62) contends, is a reflexive process, and one that has a close relationship with the industry and society that the products work in. This relationship demands a constant interaction between media institutions and the industry to fashion out the nature of acceptable exchanges both in terms of output (personnel) and the effect of this on media content.

The usual quip made to young Journalism/Mass Communication graduates upon employment in newsrooms is: “forget what you learned in J-School.” The idea, according to (Whitt, 1993: 91), is for students and graduates of Mass Communication alike, to jettison or purge themselves of those theories, rules and idealistic concepts taught in school which, it is believed, could prevent them from experimenting, or innovating. The experiential or common-sensical logic of this attitude by practitioners in the traditional media is, in the main, an indicator of a  disconnect between the newsroom and the classroom, a pointer to the imperative need of a pedagogical overhaul of extant tradition and methodology of knowledge transfer in journalism / mass communication education, especially in developing nations like Nigeria.

While it is difficult, if not impossible, as Seelig (2010:245) points out, to provide a journalism and mass communication curriculum that is all things to all students, the dynamism and psychology of media audiences have become so intricate and complex such that no media professional that is worth his salt can afford to ignore. As Barrie Hartman, a former executive editor of Daily Camera, one of America’s gender-sensitive newspapers once disclosed:

Because readers’ likes and dislikes keep changing, we, too, must keep changing. That is why readership research, focus groups, and listening exercises are such important tools to use as we reshape and rebuild the newspaper. (Hartman, cited in Whitt, 1995: 90)

Hence, whilst the goal and preoccupation of practitioners remain how to stay afloat in the competitive media market through the constant creation and design of sophisticated media products/cutting edge content, both professionals and educators need to work together to re-invent journalism and mass communication education. Seelig (2010: ibid) underscores a blend of strategy:

The mindset should not be about creating new forms of journalism or mass communication, but about new ways of reaching and engaging audiences. The same holds true for educators. Just as the media look to innovative techniques to reach audiences, educators should be asking themselves if they are doing everything possible to reach and engage their students.