Photo by [CrowdyNews]
“There will always be a role for media and information, and people are hungry for [it]. Information is power and not only for the media,” said Project Manager Rashid Chopdat commenting on the importance of people being active in society and the media. Chopdat and his associates are set to launch a multimedia workshop on the 28 and 29 of May.
The initiative, titled The Citizen Journalism Bootcamp for Muslims, is a pilot programme to introduce Muslim youth and adults to community activism and journalism opportunities in the media industry.
“The boot camp is for Muslims only at this stage. The thinking behind it is that we don’t want them only to serve the Muslim media, though there is a big shortage of them in the Muslim media. We’re also looking at them contributing to their local community and weekly newspapers … And show that there are Muslims out there who care about community issues.”
Additionally, the boot camp will provide participants with relevant and essential skills in the print and multimedia industry. They will also host a variety of industry professionals, journalists, editors and activists who will share their insights, expertise and experiences in the field.
Though the strategy is aimed at Muslims specifically, Chopdat affirmed that all who possess a keen interest in the media industry and want to pursue a career therein are welcome to participate.
What Will Be Taught at the Bootcamp?
The programme is well structured, consisting of ten modules, each hour long. Like an umbrella, it was structured to cover all aspects of journalism, its values, principles, ethics and legalities.
“Essentially, those ten modules [will cover] every aspect to do with being in emerging media and the digital and print systems.”
Speaking to Salaamedia, Chopdat said the initiative was a collective idea between himself and a local activist working out of Durban after volunteers displayed an interest in the industry.
“We had some volunteers, and we talked to them. We realised that there is a [whole] generation out there, young and old, that would like to make a contribution to society. Who would like to see journalism as a career, but could also be activists and contribute to the community. While talking, we realised that they needed a structured program, and they needed guidance.”
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What Value Does the Bootcamp Provide?
The boot camp is open to Muslims, the general public, graduates, and current professionals. It will provide aspiring and current journalists and activists with essential skills and knowledge and numerous opportunities to meet, network and connect with each other and industry professionals.
“This is probably one of the first rare moments in history where we’ve got people from diverse Muslim media backgrounds coming together and running a workshop under a non-aligned banner … We’re there to serve the ummah, and their expertise must then also benefit the ummah, so come here to learn their skills.”
The initiative’s pilot programme is only the first step to a much bigger scheme. He added that they intend to develop a full-time training academy, which will offer opportunities on a variety of media platforms where aspiring journalists can gain experience and publish their work.
