The first-ever global gathering of journalism educators took place in Singapore in July 2007, hosted by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre. It was organized by a coalition of organisations around the world which include journalism education amongst their activities.
WJEC-1 was the first comprehensive international attempt to compare a vast range of different national experiences, and to find consensus on common principles. It saw the launch of a database on journalism programmes around the world, and the UNESCO model curriculum for journalism education. Delegates also worked in syndicate groups in specialist areas of interest and collectively adopted a Declaration of Principles that stimulated worldwide debate.
In the short space of time since the first Congress, much has been happening in global media, economics, politics and environment. These radical changes make it highly opportune to take stock of how such developments impact on journalism education worldwide.
This is why the member associations of the World Journalism Education Council have supported Rhodes University’s bid to host the second WJEC in South Africa in 2010. All journalism educators are encouraged to share in this experience.
The event coincides with the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup to be hosted in South Africa, which offers a common focus for journalism educators to debate carbon footprints and media mega-events, the rise of new media, changing business models and copyright issues, representations of race and gender, media globalization, journalism and the Millenium Development Goals, and more.
WJEC-2 also runs parallel to the 14th Highway Africa conference, which is the world’s largest annual gathering of journalists from a continent that generally remains marginalised internationally.
Combined with this context, WJEC-2 will be a dynamic occasion for journalism educators to cross-pollinate experiences and to brainstorm ways in which to take forward the relevance of the practice around the globe.
A meeting of the organizations in the World Journalism Education Council in September in Boston set up the following organizing committees:
- Research paper call and selection of peer review judges: International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, headed up by Elanie Steyn
- Panel call and selection: Elanie Steyn, Heather Birks, Chris Frost, Robyn Goodman, Ian Richards
- Plenary sessions: Guy Berger, Guo Ke, Charles Self
- Keynote speaker: Guy Berger, Kaarle Nordenstreng, Mick Temple, Paul Knox
The World Journalism Education Council is a coalition of 28 academic associations worldwide that are involved in journalism and mass communication at the university level. They include: African Council on Communication Education (ACCE), Arab-U.S. Association for Communication Educators, Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Association for Journalism Education (U.K.), Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC), Brazilian Society of Interdisciplinary Studies on Communication (Intercom Brazil), Broadcast Education Association (BEA), China Association of Journalism and Communication, Chinese Communication Association (CCA), European Journalism Training Association (EJTA), Global Network for Professional Education in Journalism and Media (JourNet), Israel Communication Association, Journalism Education Association of Australia, Korean Society for Journalism and Communication Studies, Latin American Association of Communication Researchers (ALAIC), Latin American Federation of Social Communication Schools (FELAFACS), Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE), Russian Association for Education in Journalism, Russian Association for Film & Media Education, Saudi Association for Media & Communication, South African Communication Association.