Date: November 2010
Country: Indonesia
With support from the Open Society Foundation, the Media Diversity Institute (MDI) organised a Reporting Diversity Curricula Development Workshop for 17 journalism academics from 7 universities across Java, between 10-13 November 2010. UK academics from universities such as Cardiff and Westminster demonstrated theory and practice based modules that they use to teach topics such as ‘Media and Religion’, ‘Media and Gender’, ‘Media and Diaspora’ or ‘Media and Diversity’.
Participants were most interested in the inter-active exercises that were demonstrated, which are still a rarity as a method used by Indonesian academics. “Most of the courses at our journalism and communication departments are still very theory-based, and not very much in tune with time”, said Dr Ade Armando, the workshop moderator, who teaches at Paramadina University. This was also one of the reasons why MDI brought editors from leading Indonesian media outlets to tell the academics what kind of reporters they need in their newsrooms.
The workshop was held in Jakarta in partnership with Paramadina Foundation, an Indonesian educational institution which owns one of the best universities in the country. Following the workshop the participants were invited to apply for a six-month mentoring programme, during which 6 selected Indonesian academics, with support from UK colleagues, will develop their own Reporting Diversity modules. They are expected to teach the newly developed modules in the 2011/2012 academic year. MDI will invite the most successful academics to the Reporting Diversity Curricula Development Global conference, to be held April 2012, in London.
