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Professor Phumla Mtala, the acting Dean of Students
Students at the COMSA Media Conference
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The 8th Annual COMSA Media Conference was held in the ZK Matthews Great Hall, Muckleneuk campus, on 12 August 2008. The theme of the conference was "The role of communication/media in solving African issues" and guest speakers from media houses as well as politicians and journalists explained the role they play in trying to solve African issues.
Surveying the turnout of students, Professor Danie du Plessis, Head: Communication Science, commended the COMSA organising committee for their hard work. "This is unbelievable," he said, "especially given the distance education environment." He also spoke of the new campus radio, which will be launched on 7 September 2008, and praised COMSA for being the driving force behind it. The students prepared the ICASA application, collected the necessary signatures and are in the process of setting it up.
In her opening address, Professor Phumla Mtala, acting Dean of Students, spoke of the pervasive influence of communication. "The ubiquitous but valuable cellphone, the burgeoning internet and the wide range of electronic communication devices attest to the phenomenal growth of communications technology." She went on to highlight the role that students can play in the industry. "As students pursuing courses pertaining to the diverse field of communication," she said, "your collective role in monitoring and promoting the development of the various communications media both nationally and in Africa is critical. But to achieve this, it is imperative that every member of COMSA is fully aware of the association’s objectives, and is willing to work collaboratively to ensure that these objectives are achieved."
The SRC Deputy President External, Mr Jordan Johns, called for a balance between media coverage and constructive criticism. "Media is responsible for how the world perceives Africa," he stated. "Point out the positive so the world can see the beauty in Africa." He appealed to students to wake up and look for solutions to problems and to address issues so that the media, in turn, would have something positive to focus on.
Further speakers in the day-long conference included Ms Khanyi Magubane, SAfm; Ms Sewela Sebola, Department of Foreign Affairs; and Mr Nkosinathi Biko, Steve Biko Foundation. |
