Course outline
The course seeks to increase an understanding in the management of various forms of media from a corporate as well as media institution perspective. It explores the intersectionality of institutional growth and media relations, the relationship between corporate social responsibility, media management and community development. It explores the role of media in development and seeks to foster the strategic and mutually beneficial relationships among corporate sector players, development practitioners and media institutions.
The course takes into cognizance the quest for news and content by media practitioners, while recognizing the needs by both the development and corporate sector for strategic media relations to achieve exponential growth and development milestones. Overall, it enables one to appreciate the role of development in society, and how media can enhance this from multi-pronged approaches embracing the varied needs, exploring the nuances of different types of media for appropriate use in driving the growth and development agenda. It also equips the corporate communications practitioner, media practitioner and development worker with the relevant and requisite skills in engaging the development sector in terms of discursive practices and paradigms.
- To inculcate an understanding and appreciation of theory and concepts on Media, and its place on the Development paradigm in public, political and private spheres
- To enable understanding of media management strategies in various set ups, in the corporate and development sectors, as well as media management in media institutions themselves
- To explore the nexus between media and development, its importance for the corporate and development sectors in the context of globalization, convergence and other trends and the politics of development in the media.
- To interrogate media as a growth and development instrument, and critically reflect on a range of historical and current discourses
- To understand profitability and development concepts, the development paradigm and the link with media
- To develop learners’ knowledge and understanding of media analysis and its application in growth and development practice, using a range of frameworks and tools
- Understanding Media: theories, trends, and current practices
- Development Communication: its role as Corporate Social Responsibility, its role in communities, its relevance and the various. Communication for Development (C4D) Threads as articulated by international development agencies
- Relevance of Communication in Development in the local and global context
- Media Management: Managing media in convergence, in global context; Development communication in broadcasting and all electronic media; management of print and other forms of media (striking the balance) ; Crisis Management; Social Responsibility, Marketing and the political space (media governance)
- Media in the Global Development Agenda: Sustainable Development Goals, Millennium Development Goals, the Global Agenda
- Rights-based approaches to development and the role of media roles in these spaces
- Violence in the Media (cyber-bullying, media ownership, global terrorism, face book and other social media crimes)
At the end of the course, learners should have grasped, not just the theory, but also the practical aspects of managing media in a development context and managing development issues from a media perspective. It is also hoped that at the end of the course, students would have a nuanced understanding of Media Theories guiding the operations of the media in different contexts.
This course will enhance professional skills among those aspiring to take up or already occupying the following positions, albeit addressing the nuanced changes and currency in the ever-fluid media terrain:
- Middle level managers
- Media Relations officers
- Media and Communication managers
- Development Practitioners
- Corporate Affairs and Public Relations Practitioners
While courses are offered in Public Relations, media, and development separately, this course has the uniqueness of bringing all the facets together. What makes it even more distinctive is the connection between the development agenda and the Corporate Social Responsibility discourse, thus bringing together the not-for profit and corporate sector in terms of managing the media and yielding the most out of it – beyond mere news coverage. It enables the employer to appreciate the need for strategic media management from a media institution perspective as well as from the corporate sector and NGO space.
Students should possess a tertiary level qualification in either media, PR or social sciences. This course builds on existing knowledge around development issues, PR and media.
Lectures will be conducted as guided by the University, taking into cognisance the COVID-19 response.
Duration: The course is six months, i.e.12x 3 Hour sessions fortnightly with 100% attendance
Tuition: USD 200
Application: USD 20
Enrollment: USD 20