We are pleased to announce that we've signed up over 210 online learners for the press code eLearning system which has the backing of the Press Council and SANEF. The practical course addresses the revised Press Code, focusing on print and online conduct, with the objective to help improve the quality of news reporting.
“It is a comprehensive, multi-media study of the Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African print and online media that both old hands and newcomers to the craft need to study at least once a year,” said Press Council Executive Director, Joe Thloloe. “frayintermedia has developed an important eLearning tool that has to be in the set of every journalist, every newsroom and every journalism school in South Africa,” he said.
“The course is a massive boost to the quality of journalism in our country” he added.
Rulings by the Press Council on specific matters, important documents on ethics, debates about media regulation and much more are a click away for the participant. The course takes into account the busy work schedule of journalists and is multi-device compatible including desktop computers, tablets as well as smartphones. Users have eight weeks to complete ten modules, but it’s self-paced and can be done in a few days.
The SA National Editors Forum (SANEF) has also given the course the thumbs’ up.
“SANEF is convinced that the course fully covers all areas and affords journalists the opportunity to actually look at relevant case law and precedents of rulings by the Ombudsman,” said SANEF Executive Director, Mathatha Tsedu. “SANEF implores media houses to encourage and insist their journalists to complete the training course,” he said.
Each module is designed to address a section of the South African Press Code. Learners are required to take a multiple choice quiz with a 80% pass mark to progress from one module to the next. It is a multimedia training programme, including audio and video clips. To complete the course, learners have to write an assignment and an online exam. The Modules include: self-regulation, hate speech and defamation, privacy and public interest, press code guiding principles, gathering and reporting of news, advocacy and comment, headlines, violence and graphic content, anonymous sources and payment for information.
“The Press Code eLearning course has taken many months to develop and applies world standard learner management software, making it easy for publishers to monitor the progress of their staff,” said frayintermedia head of multimedia, Des Latham.
“It’s really exciting to be part of a launch that takes journalism training further into the digital sphere,” he added.