Glenda Daniels
The explosion in media studies over the past few years in a rapidly shrinking market has not made the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) shy away from introducing a new master’s programme in this field this year.
But the course director of the MA in media, communication and culture at UPE, Professor Danie Jordaan, says that after UPE launched its media studies BA in 1999, “we saw a niche area for a programme that focused strongly on language, combined with modules that developed practical skills that exposed students to a number of fields”.
In addition, Jordaan says, the MA appeals to people currently in the profession, because it can allow them to “change direction and reposition themselves regarding media technology”. For instance, a student with little experience of graphic design may be allowed to take it as a postgraduate subject.
The MA is also appealing to international students: UPE has enrolled people from as far afield as Kenya, Vietnam, Botswana, Swaziland and Europe.
Meanwhile, work in the world of newspapers continues to shrink as countrywide (and globally) media conglomerates shed jobs. But Jordaan looks at it in another way. He believes there is a huge demand throughout Africa, and especially among our closest neighbours, for education and training in media and communication.
“We want to produce graduates who combine high-level critical thinking involving critical theory and philosophical insight with technological competence in an industry that is increasingly dependent on information technology and its derivatives. For that reason new media technology and visual communication are focal areas in the programme,” Jordaan says.
There are two streams in the MA programme: applied media studies, with a strong visual focus; and media and social analysis, which has a more philosophical bent.
The entrance requirement for the MA is a BA degree, and students can exit the course after one year with an honours degree or continue and complete the master’s degree after a second year.