Journalism education and training in Malawi: A case for a national policy

Abstract

Based principally on verbal data collected through interviews with journalists, journalism  educationists, journalist trainers, and  curriculum analysis, this study notes some progress made in the field of Malawian journalism since independence. However, it argues that despite the welcome increase in the number of  journalism and communication qualifications offered by public and private journalism training colleges in Malawi, the quality of the output is still lackluster. This is overwhelmingly because practical skills courses are taught inadequately, haphazardly and theoretically due, partly, to inadequate human and material resources and lack of a national policy to guide the formation of journalists. It recommends that to improve the quality and relevance of journalistic output, Malawi should draft and publish a journalism education and training policy to guide all journalism training colleges. It also recommends that training colleges should partner with the industry, multilateral organizations with interest in communication and media  development, government  departments and NGOs not only for industrial attachment but also for these to sponsor communication and journalism training programmes. Partner institutions should consider procuring  training materials and assets for the training institutions. The study further recommends that partner institutions need to  consider sponsoring academic staff for higher education in journalism and media studies.

Keywords: journalism training, journalism education and training policy, media content, media, media development, Malawi