• Careers

A love for ethical journalism

My name is Michaiyla Hansen and I am a second-year journalism student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). I was always interested in journalism; however, I was more interested in the writing aspect of the course. When I did my research, I got to learn the different things it had to offer such as photography and production for both television and radio.

Highlights

Ever since starting the course, I realised that I am more into ethical modules being offered in my course, namely media ethics, media law and media theory, seeing as they are more about the constant battle between the duality of man. They also help journalists make well-informed decisions.

This course has enlightened me so much; it helped me realise how I can actually start working while still studying. Additionally, my practical modules educated me on things such as creating a website, producing and directing a film as well as script writing, which - in turn - can turn me into a great freelancer.

Challenges

Trying to be innovative has proven to be quite challenging at times, as you always want to have something unique that stands out, not necessarily better than my mates but just to keep the creative juices flowing. In addition, when writing or producing something, you find out that it has already been done and the switch up from there can be difficult.

Recommendations

Journalism is not only a calling, but is a course which requires a lot of attention than people make it out to be, so to study this course, one should have a passion for it. If there is no passion or drive, you will end up creating work that is not up to standard, which will demotivate you. Additionally, the practical work needs a lot of innovation and creativity and this is impossible if one is not passionate about the course.