MEDIA
RELEASE – MARCH, 2010
Media
Literacy and Culture of Reading Summit
- Mafikeng, North West in March 2010
The Media Development and Diversity
Agency (MDDA) convened a Media Literacy
and Culture of Reading Summit on 26
- 27 March 2010 at the Council Chambers,
Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality,
Mafikeng in the North West. The theme
for the summit is “Basic Media
Literacy Education - ‘Constructing
Views of Reality’”.
The
MDDA has a mandate to create an enabling
environment for media development
and diversity that is conducive to
public discourse and that which reflects
the needs and aspirations of all South
Africans. Further, Section 3 (v) of
the MDDA Act requires the Agency to
support initiatives which promote
literacy and a culture of reading.
Accordingly,
the MDDA held this Summit as an attempt
to support initiatives that promote
literacy and a culture of reading
amongst diminished language groups
and inadequately served communities.
In this regard, the MDDA formed partnerships
with the Department of Education (DoE)
- national and provincial, Ngaka Modiri
Molema District Municipality, Ratlou
and Mafikeng Local Municipalities,
the Institute for Advancement in Journalism
(IAJ), The Star - Newspapers in Education
(NIE), and Agenda Magazine to introduce
a culture of reading and basic media
literacy amongst learners in schools,
to promote debate and dialogue on
media for learners and to encourage
learners to be involved in producing
their own media.
The
Summit kicked-off with a launch addressed
by the Basic Education Deputy Director-General:
Office of the DG – Ms. Vivienne
Carelse and attended by dignitaries
such as the Executive Mayor of the
Ngaka Modiri Molema District, Ms.
Rebecca Mokoto, Mayors of Mafikeng
and Ratlou Local Minicipalities; the
Press Ombudsman - Mr. Joe Thloloe;
SABC Education Senior Producer: Mr.
Alfred Mathibe and many other local
stakeholders. At the Summit launch,
the was also a roundtable discussion
which was led by the the Press Ombudsman,
Mr. Joe Tlholoe. The Press Ombudsman
hosted the Roundtable and guided the
Summit delegation through issues pertaining
to self-regulation, democracy, constitution
and the children’s rights in
relation to the media. Media practitioners
from local media formed part of the
respondents at the roundtable, giving
local perspectives on media and engaging
the learners and educators on development
of media products in schools.
Ten
(10) high schools selected to participate
in this Summit were from both the
Ratlou and Mafikeng Local Municipalities.
The participating schools were Madiba,
Batloung, Setlopo, Mmoledi, Mothibinyane,
Reikanne, Tshoganyetso, Kagiso Barolong,
Kebalepile and Leteane High Schools.
Fifty (50) learners from these schools
attended with their teachers and benefited
from the Media Literacy Trainng that
was facilitated by the IAJ and The
Star newspaper. One key outcome of
the training was that at the end of
the Summit, the learners would produce
a pro-forma cover page of a newspaper.
“MDDA
and its partners have identified a
gap in the market and have decided
to launch the second Pilot Programme
called Media Literacy and Culture
of Reading Summit at the Ngaka Modiri
Molema District in the North West.
The two participating local municipalities
are Mafikeng and Ratlou. In terms
of geographical area, Ngaka Modiri
Molema is the second largest district
both in population and size in the
North West.” says Mr. Lumko
Mtimde, Chief Executive Officer of
the MDDA.
The
deficiency of a culture of reading
is a major concern in South African
society and indeed in the Southern
African region. Media education is
part of the basic entitlement of every
citizen, in every country in the world,
to freedom of expression and the right
to information and is instrumental
in building and sustaining democracy.
The long-term goal for the MDDA and
its partners is to see the Media Literacy
and Culture of Reading programme included
in the school curriculum and schools
producing their own media products.
The intention is to assist young people
to be more critical consumers and
producers of media as well as to stimulate
an interest in media as a field of
study.
It
is envisioned that through this initiative
a platform will be set to develop
media literacy skills which can be
used across the curriculum, thereby
contributing to the upliftment of
educational standards and promotion
of a culture of reading. The promotion
of a reading culture amongst South
Africans will extend the pool of creativity
and communication skills in the country.
There is an immense hunger amongst
South African youth for information
which they can use to improve their
lives and empower them to have an
effective say in governing.
For more information on the Media
Literacy and Culture of Reading Summit,
contact:
Programme Manager: Research &
Training
Ms. Manana Stone - +27-11 643 1100
or email her on: manana@mdda.org.za
