Department of Communication Arts (Journalism)
PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND STUDENT INTAKE
The newly revised Communication Arts curriculum is based on the overall exercise that the university underwent during 2004-2005, which aimed to streamline its programs and strengthen their academic component.
The Communication Arts previous curriculum was based on a western vocational journalism model. Its earlier format was introduced in the late 1990s with the assistance of a VSO journalism expert. The strength of this curriculum was its vocational component, which encouraged students to produce news from their first semester into the program.
While acknowledging the benefits of learning practical skills, stakeholders surveyed during the revision period expressed concerns about the pre-2005 curriculum on the grounds that it did not adequately prepare graduates for work in the communication sector in PNG. Its vocational and overspecialized program has already produced more graduates than the small media industry can absorb. It has also given them a very limited academic and general education background, reducing not only their employment opportunities but also their intellectual growth.
Teaching within the Communication Arts Department has given us some appreciation of the difficulties Papua New Guinean students face when they enter higher education institutions to study journalism. These difficulties include low general literacy skills, very little media literacy, lack of general education knowledge and, more specifically, a lack of knowledge about their country's socio-cultural and economic issues, as well as a lack of critical thinking skills.
The revised curriculum has a stronger academic and general education component and a change in scope. Originally the program focused on training students to work in the mainstream media. The Department has now expanded its curriculum in order to respond to the wider communication needs in the country.
After consultations with staff, students, alumni and media specialists, it seemed that there was a need to train communication specialists who can also be employed by the NGO sector. Many students indicated that their first choice of employment is not with the mainstream media but with the NGO sector. Given also that the media industry is not big enough to absorb 30 plus diploma and degree graduates every year, we had to consider alternative employment opportunities. This called for a stronger academic component that expands the graduates' in-depth knowledge and a more focused communication & development component, which can prepare students to address the communication needs of a developing country.
By expanding the curriculum beyond the craft elements of journalism we will, hopefully, help the students to achieve their intellectual potential, so that they might become better people, appropriate leaders and active contributors to development in PNG. It is hoped that a more balanced academic education can provide them with life-long critical thinking skills that can apply in any working environment.
The curriculum revision started in 2004 and during 2005 we had a transition period where partial implementation of the revised curriculum took place. The full implementation of the curriculum is expected to take place in 2006 with all new and revised courses in place.
The next step will be to assess the revised curriculum's implementation looking at the impact of general education and academic courses in the overall performance of students, particularly their understanding of development and communication issues as well as their ability to critically assess knowledge.
The Diploma in Communication Arts (Journalism) is a two-year program for students who have matriculated from the DWU or obtained an equivalent Grade 12, with a “B” in English. The Postgraduate Certificate is a one-year program for students who have already obtained a diploma in another subject. The BA in Journalism provides a higher qualification for students who already have a diploma.
Special Projects
The department will operate a news agency covering the Madang area and all students will be required to undertake coverage of news events and feature writing assignments for national and international media organisations.
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