Mohammad Sahid Ullah
Abstract:
Journalism and media sectors in South Asian countries have been experiencing significant developments since the 1990s with the emergence of a good number of newspapers and magazines, inception of news agencies and private radio and television channels equipped with modern technology. Journalism educators often try to keep pace with this fastmoving media industry despite their numerous limitations. In fact, any change in the industry influences or affects the syllabus redesigning process. As the profession changes its nature in the face of new challenges from factors like corporatisation of the industry, globalisation and new media intervention along with the dispute between educators and professionals, journalism departments at universities are struggling to adapt to the changing scenario. These changes are also puzzling journalism educators in reaching any comprehensive agreement on what syllabi would best fit the potential needs of the emerging sectors. The challenges discussed in this article would help find a contextual solution in regard to preparing a suitable and adaptive course curriculum for journalism students at universities in South Asia. Focusing on the reasons for accepting the western notion of journalism education, the failure of readymade curricula - the UNESCO model- and the complexity of journalism education and practices in various regions, this paper offers a new approach to form a generic model by analysing the contemporary global trends of journalism education and the context of new needs and demands arising in South Asian nations.
Keywords: Common model, journalism education, media industry, paradigm shift, South Asia