ByLiuJian
ForLoveringSichizya,a37-year-oldZambianjournalistworkingwiththeZambiaNewsandInformationServices,aone-yearmaster’sprograminChinahasbroughtfreshenthusiasmforhischosenprofession.
“ThemostinterestingthingI’velearnedinChinaishowthemediacancontributetothesolutionofsocialdilemmasinsociety,usingtheconstructivejournalismapproach,”hetoldChinAfrica,addingthatconstructivejournalismisanewconcepthelearnedhere.
Constructivejournalismseekstomoveawayfromfocusingonconflictandnegativecoverage,toamoresolution-focusedreportingstylethatengagespeopleaffectedbyissuesandpresentssuggestionsofhowtofixwhat’sbroken.
SichizyacametoChinathankstotheInternationalMasterinInternationalCommunicationforDevelopingCountries.SponsoredbyChina’sMinistryofCommerce,theannualone-yearmaster’sprogramisinitsfifthyear,havingbeenorganizedbytheCommunicationUniversityofChina(CUC)sinceSeptember2011.
“WehavebeenabletoimmerseourselvesinChina-thepeople,language,cultureandpoliticallandscape,”saidSichizya.“ThisprogramprovidesanauthenticnarrativeofChinaanditspeoplefromfirsthandaccounts.”
Overthepastfiveyears,morethan60Africanjournalistsfrom20countrieshaveparticipatedinthisprogram,accordingtoZhangYanqiu,theprogram’sdirectoranddirectorofAfricaCommunicationResearchCenteratCUC.
“AfricancorrespondentsarekeentobeinvolvedwithChinesemediatobothlearnmoreaboutwhatistakingplaceinChinaandhaveanopportunitytocontributeauthenticnewsaboutwhatishappeninginAfricaontheground,”saidZhang.
Growingmediafootprint
FromMarch1,2016,morethan20journalistsfrommainstreammediainAfricancountriesbegantoparticipateinavarietyofmediaeventsthrougha10-monthexchangeprogram,theChinaAfricaPressCenterProgram,whichincludesclassroomteaching,spotinterviewsandaninternshipwiththeChinesemedia.
OrganizedbytheChinaPublicDiplomacyAsso-ciation(CPDA),theprogramaimstoprovideAfricanjournalistswithbetteraccesstoChina-relatednews,asperthecommitmentmadeattheFifthMinisterialConferenceoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperationin2012topromoteChina-Africapracticalcooperation,saidLuFengding,VicePresidentofCPDA.TheprogramwaslaunchedinFebruary2014.
“Theprogramofferednotonlyanin-depthrevisionofmyknowledge,butalsothediscoveryofnumerouswonders.Travelingtoabout10provinceshasenlightenedmealotaboutthisancientcivilizationanditsmagnificentculturalheritage,”saidZekariasWoldemariam,thepublicationseditorwithEthiopia’sGovernmentCommunicationsAffairsOffice,whoparticipatedintheprogramin2015.“MyjourneytoChinacanbetakenasonlyabeginning.ExploringmoreaboutChinawillremainalifelonginterest,”headded.
It’sallpartoftheincreasingcollaborationbetweentheChineseandAfricanmediaoutletsinrecentyears.MajorChinesemediaoutletshaveestablishedasoundinfrastructureandabroadrangeofchannelsonthecontinent.
ChinaRadioInternationalbeganbroadcastingfromNairobiadecadeago,whileXinhuaNewsAgencyhassetupmorethan20bureausacrossthecontinent.In2012,ChinaCentralTelevision(CCTV)establishedaCCTVAfricabaseinNairobi,andtheChinAfricamagazine,amonthlypublicationinEnglishandFrench,openeditsAfricaBureauinJohannesburg,SouthAfrica.Inaddition,ChinaDaily,China’sbiggestEnglish-languagenewspaper,launcheditsfirstAfricaneditioninDecember2012.HowcantheChina-Africastorybebettertold?
Sichizyaemphasizestheneedformorepositivestoriestoimprovepublicperceptionofthecontinent,storieshighlightingpeaceinAfricaversusturmoil,somethingthattiesinwiththeconceptofconstructivejournalism.
“TheChinesemediaanditsengagementwithAfricashouldbeseenfromaconstructivejournalismperspective,whichfocusesononeproblemforaperiodoftimetostimulatediscoursethatcanleadtoasolution,”saidZhang.
Shebelievesconstructivejournalismenablesmediatoempowerpeople,andinformationcanbeusedconstructivelywhileremainingaccurateandcriticalwherenecessary.“[What]ChinesemediaisdoinginAfricaistoconstructandreconstruct,notdeconstruct,”saidZhang.
“ConstructivejournalismisanalternativeapproachtochallengetheenduringstereotypesandeffectivelynarratetruestoriesforbetterunderstandingbetweenChinaandAfrica,”saidSimonMatingwina,aPh.D.studentfromZimbabweatCUC.
HisviewswereechoedbyPaulNtambara,areporterwithTheNewTimesinRwanda,whoparticipatedintheChinaAfricaPressCenterProgramlastyear.
“TheChineseapproachhasbeenmoreaboutreportingwithaviewtofindingsolutionstoproblems,whiletheWesternstylehasdonelittleinthisregard,”Ntambarasaid,addingthatwhatChinahasdoneistocreatemutualunderstandinginitspartnershipwiththeAfricanmedia.HefeltAfricanjournalistshavebeengivenavoicetotelltheirownstoriesobjectivelyontheglobalstage,viatheChinesemediaoutlets.
Meetingchallenges
“MuchisbeingdoneintermsofChinesemediareportingaboutChinainAfrica,butlessisbeingdoneintermsofAfricanmediareportingaboutAfricainChina,”saidSichizya,addingthatmorecollaborationandnetworkingisneededtofosterthecooperationbetweenthetwo.
“WeneedmorecollaborativeeffortswhereAfricanjournalistsareabletocollaboratewithChinesejournaliststoreportaboutAfricanissuesinChina.”hesaid.SichizyacalledforAfricanjournaliststoengagemoreinteractivelyanduseavailableopportunitiestoincreasereportingonAfricanissuesfordifferentmediainChina.
Thisprocessalsoneedstobereciprocated.SichizyasaidoneofthewaystoempowerAfricanmediawouldbetohavemoreAfricanmediaorganizationssetupbureausinChina.
ChinesereportersfacemanychallengesinAfrica.“PoorinfrastructureandlowInternetaccessandlogisticalsupportinhibitjournalists’effectivenessincoordinatingandreportingontheground,”saidZhangZizhu,globalTVnewsnetworkPhoenixInfoNewsChannel’sspecialcorrespondentinNairobi.
“Thisiscompoundedbybudgetconstraints,”sheadded.
ShuZhan,formerChineseAmbassadortoEritreaandRwanda,suggestedthatmorehumanintereststoriesbeincludedinreporting.“Insteadofwritingstoriessittingintheoffice,ChinesereportersshouldhavemoreopportunitiestogotoAfricancountries,interviewpeopleandwritemorefeaturestories,forexample,whatChinesemedicalteamsandChineseagriculturaltechniciansaredoingthere,”hetoldChinAfrica.“ChinesemediacanalsoinvitemoreAfricanjournaliststowritearticlesforthem.”CA
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GuestspeakersdiscusshowtheChina-AfricastorycanbebettertoldattheChina-AfricaJournalismForuminBeijinginMay2016