Haiku journalism in AfricaIindaba Ziyafika

“The news is coming”Guy Berger, Rhodes University

We won $592 000

(and motivated to MTN for a 5 year Chair in Media & Mobile Comms

to co-ordinate it all)

Grahamstown: divided x 5

Grocott’s 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.

Challenge 2: bring youth into public sphere

Cellphones: from 1:1, to 1:many

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 Grocott’s Mail.• Through a gateway to the paper’s CMS• Selection, “translation”, publication.

Enlisting journalism students and lecturers to work with the school learners

“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).

3 schools, 45 CJs (some sharing)

Editor giving learners tips on how to get their smses publish

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 (<- our id. Code).

Drinkin&driving wat kind of leader is he tryin 2 make. He is an embarrasment 2 the the council&Gtwn community.Xolani shuld b deciplined, quickly. M18

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 that’s 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

Rhodes schools’ officer Sipho January assisting a learner from

Nombulelo secondary school

Mini-news - local issuesIn 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 unbearable&uncotrolloble sewageLast week,on 25 August 2008.It waz damaged becouse of the blockage.By literation & pollution.(M01) +27734437335

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

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

Mary Waters school learner, Pamela Matinisi sending her sms

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

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!

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….

Graduation as Citizen Journalists

http://nml.ru.ac.za/blog/guy-berger