Asia-Pacific Network: 28 January 1999
EDUCATION: JOURNALISM PROGRAM CLOSURE 'A BETRAYAL'
A former coordinator of the 23-year-old journalism program at the University of Papua New Guinea says the planned closure would be a betrayal of the future generation of journalists for the country. He blames the move on university politics and expediency.
CLOSURE or major downgrading of the 23-year-old journalism program at the University of Papua New Guinea would be a betrayal of the future generation of journalists for the country, says a former program coordinator.
"Education of journalists, just like teachers, is vital for development of the nation and good governance, and the UPNG program has already educated a generation of media staff," said David Robie, now senior lecturer and coordinator of the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji.
Commenting on PNG newspaper reports of the closing of the programme along with two faculties at UPNG, Mr Robie said: "This will be a deeply disappointing move for many keen journalism students in the country and a betrayal of the future generation.
"Journalism has been a casualty of university politics and expedient and uncreative responses to the funding crisis facing the institution," said Mr Robie, who taught at UPNG from 1993-1997.
"Sadly there has been a litany of broken promises and an unwillingness to consider good proposals put forward for the future of journalism education. Instead, the administration has preferred to listen to academic staff who are uninformed about media or world journalism education trends.
"Good journalism programs depend on a balance of solid practical courses and theory, plus an interdisciplinary mix of other courses such as politics, history and economics."
Mr Robie said the journalism programme had been established as a semi-autonomous course at UPNG in 1975. It was funded by the New Zealand Government for the long-term development of journalism education and training in PNG and the Pacific.
The university had a responsibility to honour that commitment.
The UPNG programme pioneered journalism education and training in the South Pacific and even today many of the courses were not duplicated by two more recent programmes started at other universities, Mr Robie said.
He appealed to UPNG to reverse this decision.
Failing that, he urged the PNG Media Council and the news media to find a way to take over the course.
"The equipment, computers and facilities donated over the past few years were given by donors on the basis of long-term development of journalism and should remain committed for that purpose," Mr Robie said.
Donors include the Post-Courier (more than five computers), New Zealand High Commission, Communication Assistance Foundation (Dutch newspaper and journalists-funded) and the former PNG Ministry of Information.