COMMUNITY MEDIA LECTURE: MAKANANISA SHARES VAST KNOWLEDGE Thapelo Kutumela They came in their large numbers to listen to the man who many young people in media have grown to admire. The hall was filled with Media students under the Department of Media, Communications and Information studies enrolling at the University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus. The lecture was about the state of community media in Limpopo today. Up stepped Limpopo Media House CEO Mr Matodzi Makananisa, the only young black man in Limpopo to own weekly publication. Honouring the invitation from the University of Limpopo’s Media department, Makananisa’s lecture focused on a number of factors ranging from challenges and community media ownership. He spoke fondly of the need for graduates to approach the post graduate phase with an open approach to eliminate disappointments. A student requested Makananisa to reveal his secret ingredient: “determination, passion and the will to serve my community is the reason I wake up every day with purpose. There is a fundamental need for community media ownership to remain in the hands of young black people. We are the ones who understand the celebrated cultures of our people in the province, so who better to tell our own stories?” Makananisa encouraged students to ignite interest in starting their own businesses. “We need Limpopo TV, we need Limpopo Magazine, and we need a Sports publication to highlight sports news in the grassroot level of Limpopo. We need Advertising Agencies and so many more within media industry. Look beyond the usual radio and newspaper, there is way more to be explored which can mature into viable business opportunities. Funding houses are aplenty. In this regard, the government is coming to the party.” About 300 - 500 media students engaged Makananisa in the Q and A session. Many chose to thank him for being their role model whilst others encouraged the university to work with publishers like Makananisa in creating a platform for students to experience the real world. Responded the head of department Professor Sheila Mmusi: “there is a reason we invited you to speak to our students. We are humbled by your presence and wish to encourage you to keep soaring. We thank you for giving our students insight into the real world of media. We also appreciate your will to assist our students to get experiential feel before they formally enter the job market. We shall engage further to see how we can build on this relationship for the benefit of our learners.” Makananisa promised students that through Limpopo News, they will be able to learn how to develop a story before publishing. Students will contribute articles and visit the Limpopo News Offices in Polokwane regularly to experience the day to day activities that make the news room tick.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 07:20:44 +0000
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