MAK TO CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM

The Makerere University Department of Mass Communication will on 10th July set to celebrate 20 years of professional media and communication excellence in Uganda.

The two day event, under the theme 20 Years of Professionalizing Journalism and Communication in Uganda will be aimed at commemorating and celebrating the contribution of mass communication department to journalism and mass communication in the country.

The celebrations are planned to commence with an annual media convention on 9th and a procession from the mass communication department to down town, and this will be climaxed by an academic exhibition and a dinner for all stake holders and media practitioners at the Serena hotel.

In a press conference on 3rd June, the Head of Department and pioneer student, Dr. George W. Lugalambi said that mass communication was the first program to offer professional degrees in journalism and Mass Communication in East and Central Africa, and its contribution to the profession is worth celebrating.

“Many students have come from East African countries and our contribution is innumerable and has been felt in all media and communication organizations in the region especially in areas of public relations, marketing, advertising and main stream journalism,” he said.

Dr. Lugalambi said that the anniversary will be a spring board in the quest for an independent faculty and in the plans to overhaul the course curriculum to match with the swiftly changing technology demands in the field of journalism and communication.

“Over the years, there have been enormous changes in technology and media and we are looking at the anniversary as a starting point to redesign the curriculum and the entire program and the entire program [mass communication], he said.

He added that the department is in discussions with the university administration to accord Mass Communication a school status [School of Journalism and Media Communication.]

Mass Communication started in the academic year 1988/1989 as a unit in the department of literature and according to department records; it has so far produced over 1400 professional media and communication practitioners. It currently has 400 undergraduate students and 40 postgraduate and masters students.

With the help of United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], the department alongside the University of Rhodes, Namibia and Lagos school of journalism was identified as a potential centre of media excellence in Africa.

It [department] has an students’ run online news paper, The Ivory Post and a community/training radio, Campus fm 107, sponsored by the American embassy and UNESCO.