Haiku journalism in Africa

1

• Haiku journalism in Africa
• Iindaba Ziyafika
• The news is coming
• Guy Berger, Rhodes University

2
(No Transcript)
3
We won 592 000
(and motivated to MTN for a 5 year Chair in Media
Mobile Comms to co-ordinate it all)
4
Grahamstown divided x 5
5
Grocotts Mail newspaper
Challenge 1 change a 138-year old paper into a
learning operation, an experimental model, and a
multi-platform all-community info hub.
6
Challenge 2 bring youth into public sphere
7
Cellphones from 11, to 1many

• High cell penetration (pay-in-advance model,
  please-call-me, MXit)
• Tech to link editor, school learners, readers.
• Learners send 160 characters long sms for
  possible publication in Grocotts Mail.
• Through a gateway to the papers CMS
• Selection, translation, publication.

8
Enlisting journalism students and lecturers to
work with the school learners
9
Citizen???, Journalism???

• Citizenship
• A distinct identity, with rights
  responsibilities.
• Journalism
• A distinct kind of public-interest comms.
• Three kinds of SMS citizen journalism
• - Comment/opinion
• -Mini-news story
• -and Haiku poetry (with a twist).

10
3 schools, 45 CJs (some sharing)
11
Editor giving learners tips on how to get their
smses publish
12
Opinion councillor crashing a car

• Councillor Simakuhle must "face the music"! This
  is the last think we expect from a Respected
  Councillor! So plz try not 2b on the papers next
  time M20 (lt- our id. Code).
• Drinkindriving wat kind of leader is he tryin 2
  make. He is an embarrasment 2 the the
  councilGtwn community.Xolani shuld b deciplined,
  quickly. M18

13
Contesting community radio revival

• I think the board should put donation boxes up d
  new opening of radio gtown. M06 073 083 4556
• From my view I feel that the ppl thats suppose 2
  run da station shouldnt ask anything from da
  community coz its their fault. They should ask
  donation from the leaders of grahamstown. We
  rather give donations to the poor. M09 - 078 316
  0809

14
Rhodes schools officer Sipho January assisting a
learner from Nombulelo secondary school
15
Mini-news - local issues

• In Joza, Maseti str. There was a sewage burts,
  the owner of the house was nt home,wen she came
  bck there were people 4rom the Municipality
  trying 2 cleane!
• On ragland,the community of fingo village suffer
  through an unbearableuncotrolloble sewageLast
  week,on 25 August 2008.It waz damaged becouse of
  the blockage.By literation pollution.(M01)
  27734437335

16
Mini-news - local issues

• Friday afternoon pupils were caught doing sexual
  activities in public ethembeni ext7.they were
  kissing,each others private parts also taking
  their clothes off they were beaten by the
  community but didnt the corps MO7

17
Mini-news - local issues

• A 15 yr old boy broke-into a house on Thesday
  afternoon,in tantyi location. He sneaked though
  the bedroom window.And stole a cd case n food, he
  was only found out becoz he left a toy gun on da
  table, the home owner got the lead frm other boys
  in the area wen he found the boy in the street
  playing he beat him, so badly neighbours had 2
  stop him as 4 his cd's they were at the boy's
  home. M18

18
Mary Waters school learner, Pamela Matinisi
sending her sms
19
Haiku poetry smses from the learners

• On my way home. knives,"give me your phone" took
  ran away. N07
• give me a rand lunch in my bag they ate it.
  M06
• MY CLASSMATE busy as a bee braids on thursday
  plaited on friday how's that possible?(m03)
• Filthy is da water.dirty polluted ground.at a
  near river M09

20
(No Transcript)
21
But citizens or consumers?
To be a good media producer, you need to be a
media consumer and be a media-literate
consumer! Challenge bring the news to aware CJs!
22
2009 bi-directional

• Building software to deliver niched content
  as well as receiving content
• (Including youth citizen-journalism
• i.e. from youth to youth)
• AND GPRS options for cheaper comms, and
  conversation around the journalism.
• AND And images, audio plus video.

23
Graduation as Citizen Journalists
24
http//nml.ru.ac.za/blog/guy-berger