Tapping into Resources

This past week saw things going wrong (again) as they usually do- but come the Saturday show, things just flowed! We may have been only five people in studio and you had the likes of Roche’ forgetting to write up his script for the show, but once they started talking Human Rights, all these slip-ups were forgotten. Mike and BK were away with Thobani and Anesipho to Addo Elephant Park on Saturday and while they were gone, Steve and I manned the show and the planning session after it. Again, we were reminded that these pupils have lives and they do forget things, as their blogposts were not done this week and there were a few mumbles about exams having begun hence the forgotten blogs. But I told them that they need to try and get things done on time as it means we can do more things and that if they have problems, they need to let me know as soon as possible.

I find that when they don’t respond the way I want them to or things don’t go the way I had planned, I take a deep breath and try plan around damage control. I have also started asking myself, what could I or the team be doing wrong that leads to them forgetting homework, or the blog, or even the same issues we have every week with the transport guy? Maybe I need to have a day of communication with them? So on Tuesdays, I Mxit, Facebook and SMS them to ensure that they are ok, not feeling overloaded and are ready for the workshop and show. Maybe the planning needs to be tighter? Or maybe we are doing as much as we can do for now? Nah, I think more can always be done but we will ensure that they take as much responsibility as the team does.

In terms of the order in the show as it stands, we are working on a running order and getting the imaging around the show up and running. I find myself a bit irritated that we haven’t sat down as a team to create a set show structure that the Upstart pupils can slot into for times when we may not be able to be there. But that is on the agenda for week six! Getting some structure into ours, theirs and the show’s life! 

For now, Mxit, Facebook, Twitter- these are the big resources we need to also tap into if we are to get into a growing connection with the Grahamstown youth. The Upstarters did however mention to us ‘oldies’ that Mxit is not as popular as we think it is and they laughed at us regarding our naivety :). What I have also suggested to Shireen is that we place posters in the local libraries and schools to promote the shows. And I was thinking it would  help if the librarians could turn on the radio during our show on Saturdays which would increase listenership and interaction with the youth. How we can make this activity as beneficial for the librarians? Still thinking about that one, hopefully I will have an answer for you soon enough. We want to get this going as soon as soon as possible because it means we can put up polls on the posters which tell them to vote via sms or Mxit or other forms of social networking. I have spoken to a designer who is willing to work with us for the year, so things should take off soon enough! Until then, as our anchors on RMR would say, “Stay tuned as I give you more next week- same time, same place (same person!)” 

Nadia

Thobani and Anesipho strike a pose during the Addo trip.

Navigating their way to the Addo Elephant Park.

The beauty that is the park.

All this was made possible through Wildreach and Addo Elephant park.

The team just before the Antarctica talk.

You need a pink band to get in!

Dr Bernard during her talk.

Sinovuyo and Anesipho talk to a teacher after the show.

Ziphozihle and Anelisa have a listen to their recorded content.

Throwing Forward (far, far forward!)

Does it ever make you nervous to think too far ahead? To think about all the things that could go wrong, the things that may succeed and the things that will need more planning? Just thinking about our community partnership and how it will end up, come June, makes me panic slightly. I’m panicking because the team of four radio students- BK, Mike, Steve and I- will dwindle to only me. I panic because the Upstarters might not know as much as I hope they will, and can we keep this group of six Upstarters interested in the project for the entire year? Panic as I may, there still is hope. That hope is in the success of this week. 

Wednesday arrived this week, as Wednesdays do and I found myself less stressed and dealing mainly with the smaller details required to kick the Upstart radio project into action. All my planning and delegating had finally paid off as BK took the reins and prepped for the workshop. She covered interviewing skills again and began looking into scripting for radio. 

The highlight of the workshop was when we grouped the Upstarters into threes and got them to interview Jeanne duToit (our fourth year radio lecturer) and Jude Mathurine (the fourth year new media lecturer). I was as nervous, if not terrified about how Jude and Jeanne would treat the ‘newbies’. Jude somewhat lived up to my expectations, making it quite difficult for Roche’, Anesipho and Ziphozihle while they tried to interview him. When I say difficult, I mean: he took FOREVER to settle down, went off course with the questions, analysed their questions a little too harshly and then gave a mini-lecture after the interview. I felt sorry for my Upstarters and wanted to get them out of there ASAP! But hey, I suppose they learnt something from that- life doesn’t have any rehearsals.  

•   Anelisa, Thobani and Sinovuyo place Jeanne duToit (fourth year lecturer) in the hotseat as they ask her questions detailing her youth.

• From left: Roche’, Anelisa, Sinovuyo, Thobani, Anesipho and Ziphozihle having a squizz through the latest edition of Upstart while waiting for the taxi home on Wednesday. 

Saturday’s show saw Roche’ and Thobani on the airwaves for the first time. Roche’ couldn’t even write his script he was so panicked! But the show went off well as our anchor Xoliswa was there this time and his interaction with the six was great! They read their re-written Upstart scripts on air and then after a break, we posed the question to them: “If you were Mayor for a day, what would you do/change?” We had answers ranging from Roche’ wanting skating parks, to Thobani wanting all Upstarters to get free Blackberries. Issues we could delve into in later shows? I’m sure we could work on it- or rather raise some interesting debate about some of these and more in-depth issues these Upstarters face. The four girls were very relaxed this time round.

• Roche's nerves getting the better of him- but a stellar performance from him in the end.

 As the Upstarters become more acquainted with the fourth year radio students, the anchors, studios, equipment and idea of the community partnership, I am getting the feeling that they are also starting to open up. With them becoming more comfortable with us and each other, the potential for interesting and solid show ideas/topics will start to flow. Currently we are driving the ‘show bicycle’, but by second term, I want to see us (Mike, Steve, BK and I) holding one handle bar and Sinovuyo, Thobani, Ziphozihle, Roche’, Anesipho and Anelisa holding the other bar. Come June, I want them to be holding the bars and breaks, while I help them steer the bike and apply brake pressure when needed. It is not a distant goal at all and that makes me panic even more! But one thing at a time- or in keeping with my bicycle analogies, one grip at a time. 

Once the Upstarters have taken over from the radio kids, I would like for the show to sound or at least contain elements of the Upstarters with a hint of the radio students. I see a jingle being produced with their voices running throughout and a few stings to identify the Upstart slot on the Yung Amplified show. I want the show to be an honest, fresh, and prepared segment that reflects these youngsters’ personalities. Last night (Saturday), my friends and I were chatting about Carlie and Sade’ from Yo-TV in our younger days. We all knew who these two presenters were as we watched the show religiously, entered all the competitions and played all the games daily. I want our Upstart show to be as interactive, and as familiar to the Grahamstown youth as that show was to me. It will take time, but it will happen! 

How will they be able to produce a show like this? I’m still working on that answer but I know that, they will at least have all the skills in place to record, edit, interview and produce content for a show of this type by June. The trying periods will be the vacation times- as they will have to run their hour slot without us there. That crash course will prepare them for what may or may not come and how to deal with it as a team. Let’s hope that experience is a good one- I’ll keep you posted in the meantime though. 

 Nadia

• The team in studio on Saturday and having some fun with ideas around "if they were mayor for the day".

• We set the Upstarters to blogging after the show about their week's experiences.

The Bonds Are Forming

All I could think about this week was the book I had read in English 2, “Things Fall Apart” by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Things were very close to falling apart this week when the problems surrounding transport were not coming close to being resolved! First we couldn’t find a driver and then finding a bus proved to be mission impossible- but surprisingly, we found both. The rain (which had to fall on our workshop day!) threatened attendance of the Upstarters and this made me and the team quite nervous. But as the clock struck closer to 2:30pm on Wednesday this week, the team started to trickle in very slowly- but come in they did! And somehow even though things started to fall apart, they came together beautifully in the end. 

First to arrive was Roche’. Roche’ Buchner got his mum to drop him off and even sent me an sms when he got to the Africa Media Matrix (AMM). I like Roche’, in his Facebook profile, he has a couple of pictures showing that he’s quite the avid Skateboarder and likes music. He is keen to learn and has said that on the few occasions we have had a chance to meet with them. I do think that him and Mike will bond well (possibly too well!) considering he has a keen interest in the technical side of radio, and that is right up Mike’s avenue. I do however find myself worrying slightly about how he will integrate into the group. Considering he seems to be from a middle class background and the school he goes to (PJ Olivier) might make it slightly more difficult for him to interact with the other five Upstarters who had to walk to the workshop because they just don’t have a family car or someone to drop them off. I would really like Roche to slot in easier and I’m thinking of trying to get him to use the transport we have arranged to ensure a sense of ‘team’ and get friendships forming.  On the whole, he is a great kid and even though slightly shy, he has great things to share.

•     Roche with BK and Anelisa working on their profiles for the first radio show on Saturday.

And talking of things to share - Roche made one particularly important contribution to our discussions this week. We had asked the group, as a homework assignment to read the Upstart paper, choose an article and then write it to be broadcast on radio. The aims: shorter sentences, more description and no complicated vocabulary. Roche’ began reading his piece to us all, about last year’s Upstarter of the Year. BK stopped us, smiled and said, : “Hey! The Upstarter of the Year is here with us! It’s Ziphozihle!” And we realized that sitting quietly next to me, Ziphozihle Goje, was the Upstarter of the Year for 2011! And what a star she is! She is from Nombulelo High School and even though she is quiet (much quieter than Roche’), she has very definite ideas and is keen to learn too.

We were sitting with the Upstarters, re-working their profiles and I was paired with Ziphozihle. When I asked her what she wanted to talk about in the first Upstart Radio show for the year, she said, “I want to talk about Mistakes”. I was a little bit confused because I wasn’t too sure where she was coming from with this, but when I asked her to elaborate, she spoke about how people always make mistakes and it’s ok because we’re human. She also spoke about how she doesn’t like it when other kids laugh or make fun of a person who made a mistake in class, “It’s not funny”, she said. “My teacher said in class that nobody is stupid. We all have a brain”, and with that she smiled then waited for me to say something. I just nodded, smiled- happy to just be learning about Ziphozihle and her world. Here I thought I was going to be doing all the teaching yet it had just become a two way process of learning. 

• Here Ziphozihle teaches me a thing or two! Just when you thought you knew everything!

Onto Anesipho! A young lady with a plan and who likes to talk if given the opportunity! I have a feeling that she would wear fashionable clothing and drop earrings to school on a daily basis if she had her way. She is confident, tall and easy to get along with. I thought we might have a few problems initially as she seemed a little bit uninterested in the beginning but now, she is all in! She has been very polite and works well on her own as well as in a group. I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and get to her know her as well as the others, but I think time will see us becoming really good friends. I think that is what I like most about this Upstart project.  

•   Anesipho posing for the camera while getting to grips with interviewing- our own fashion  model!

When I think of the kind of smile that should be used on the Colgate/Dentene adverts- I think of Sinovuyo. Her shy smile is gripping and it reaches the corner of her eyes. I cannot wait to hear more about her world and what is ticking behind that pleasant face. I haven’t been able to get to know Sinovuyo very well as she is the quietest of the group and quite shy. She does however speak if we ask her something and I have seen her sharing a private joke with schoolmate Ziphozihle once or twice. She is such a delight though and she is always willing to help or answer something when we need to know about Upstart as this is her second year with the organisation. I was quite worried about her debut on air on the Saturday show, but when the time came, Sinovuyo held the paper quite steadily and spoke into the mike, her voice not wavering or cutting out as I had thought might happen. She was still a little quiet, but give her some time and she will be as able as the rest of the group.

• Sinovuyo listens closely to BK as she explains interviewing skills. (Sinovuyo is the one with crossed hands and standing)

Anelisa is going to be one of the talkers and confident ones this year- I just know it. She is quiet in the initial stages, but once she is used to you and her surroundings, she says what she has to with energy and confidence. She is also eager on the microphones as we saw on the Saturday show. When the anchor asked questions of the group, Anelisa would look around at the others, notice that nobody was going to say anything and lean in to the mic, keen to answer in the way she saw fit. I would like to see if she has any debating skills as that would make for interesting radio having someone take her on!

I don’t know why, but I do also feel like Anelisa may have a lot to tell about her life, and for now all I can base it on is a feeling. I think she will open up when she feels more comfortable in the group, but for now, like the others, I haven’t had a chance to get to know her as well as I should. I look forward to discovering hers and the five other Upstarter’s worlds.

• Anelisa smiling at one of Steve’s jokes during the talk on recorders.

 Thobani. What a polite, mischievous and keen young man. I think at this stage each of the Upstarters are starting to grow on us as a group. Thobani was involved in an accident on the way home from our Wednesday workshop and there was legitimate concern from the whole group regarding his safety. I knew the ties of affection were strengthening between him and the group when he smsd to tell me about the accident and I called him back to check up on him. Tonight (Sunday 4 March 2012), he smsd me to say: “Hey, thanks for Saturday show. I was listening to it and it was great- wish to be there but now I am feeling right better than before. See you soon!” I replied and asked if he is good enough to come to the Wednesday workshop, his reply again, “I will be there that’s for sho! Just can’t wait, miss you guys…thanks for your caring guys”. 

And so, I find myself very fond of this group and after all the drama that it took to sort out the Saturday show, and the stress of the week, it all comes down to remembering that working with these Upstarters is more than just creating radio material. It is about learning and teaching lessons that may help these individuals be just that: individuals with an ability to make informed and positive decisions in life. It is about thinking further than your next deadline, and more along the lines of thinking towards someone’s future. I like that kind of thinking- I think I’ll use it more often :) .

Sinovuyo, Anesipho and Thobani looking very focused indeed!

On the whole however, the workshops, the shows, the homework we have been giving them has all been quite basic with a slightly challenging aspect to it. After sitting down on Tuesday and working through each week on the calendar, I worked out a basic outline of what we had to do and how we would try and achieve this all in the term. I did it in relations to what the Upstarters can and can’t do. We have spoken quite a bit to the Upstarters and while collaborating with the print version of the project, we want to try and generate content that interests these Upstarters. I am thinking of asking the team about what they think about a Radio Talk aspect to the course in which we encourage the Upstarters to use the recorder more and open up about issues that directly affect them. I think this will work especially for shy people like Sinovuyo and Roche. This week does look more promising than the last and I am keen to see which mountain needs overcoming by the team :).

• Steve and myself working with the Upstarters.

·      

 Week 2 Trying to see over the mountain

Up, down; left, right. This seems to be the progression of our community partnership with the Upstart group and the Yung Amplified Radio Show this week. I would have preferred a linear progression but at least this week has been a learning curve for me. What have I learnt? One- Nothing goes the way you want it (it’s life Nadia, deal with it) and Two- People have lives and are either as busy if not more than you. Hard facts, but true. 

Tuesday this week was meant to be my Media Studies reading day. Tuesday was meant to see me sitting the whole day in my pyjamas, cup of coffee in hand and the readings in my lap. But Tuesday saw me running around the Journalism Department (as usual- Stephen, a fellow radio student has even called me a piece of the AMM’s furniture!), scooting off into the township and auditioning pupils for the Yung Amplified radio show. My Media Studies readings? They were at home, in my bed where I should have been. 

My day was not at all wasted though! But at the back of my buzzing head, I kept thinking that this project is starting to take a lot more of my time than I thought it would. I find myself constantly wanting things to go to perfection, but ‘perfect’ is not what I think this project is at all about. It’s more about constantly learning and working with a team of youth who are keen and willing to learn as much as we are from them. 

On the Tuesday workshop with the Upstart group, myself and BK (another classmate of mine) met Zandi Shireen Badat’s intern for Upstart and a pair of twins volunteering from Germany, who are helping for the week with Upstart. They were all great! Zandi handles the pupils and workshops in the afternoons or during their breaks. She works really well with them yet she is also firm with them if need be and then it is all back to mentoring and basically just having a good time with them while learning and interacting. 

Evidence of this good relationship between her and these Upstarters was apparent when Zandi encouraged the pupils to go forward and audition for a chance to be in Yung Amplified radio show. A short and energetic boy, Luthando, with a megawatt smile and confidence engulfing all those near him, marched to the stage, swung round, grinned at Beketele and I then proceeded to tell us about why we should pick him for the Yung Amplified show. Zandi then asked him to give us a demonstration of his acting skills (as he mentioned he enjoyed acting) and he turned around, took a piece of chalk, looked sternly at the class and asked them, “do you know how to spell ‘South’!” The class, Zandi, BK and I roared with laughter as he grinned even wider knowing that he had us all from the moment he flashed us that memorable smile. 

(Luthando in the recent Upstart paper! Download the recent paper by clicking  here)

 BK and I chose Luthando as one of our finalists for the show, yet when the chosen six Upstart members arrived today for the workshop we were holding for the new team, Luthano was not amongst them. I learned (as mentioned in my previous blog post) that the final decision does not actually lie in our hands but that we are working in partnership with organisations that have been established for a while already. Yes, they need our contribution and help but they know full well that we need them too. On my side though, I have realised that I need to acknowledge that quickly and adapt to situations that might be out of my control. I still miss Luthando’s smile and energy, but I’m sure I will see him involved one way or another with this project. 

The challenges are quite a few at this point. They range from Mike (my classmate) trying to get myself and him a PDP license to drive the children around, to not being able to meet the anchors of the Yung Amplified radio show. The challenges might be daunting, but we are progressing too! Today (25^th February 2012) we had our first workshop session with our Upstart group- they are: Sinovuyo, Anesipho, Roche’, Thobani, Anelisa and Ziphozihle. The presentation went quite well and we had a few interacting items such as the ice-breaker and the in-studio practice with them. I felt a bit discouraged that they didn’t have as many questions as I would have liked and they seemed very nervous, but hopefully we will knock those walls down and feel comfortable around each other.  

Plans for next week and thereafter? Gosh, they are never-ending plans! But I have decided to take week by week and one item at a time. For now, this week was a relative success and I am so grateful that my team and I all pulled through with the workshop and the preparation needed for it. Below is an idea if the plans we are still working on:  

• We need to rework our proposal as Jeanne (our lecturer) has made it clear that we might be too over-ambitious with what we expect from the Upstarters.
•  We need to organise transport for the Upstarters.
• The first show needs a sort of theme and we need to do that ASAP! 
• I would like to meet Shireen and the team a bit more often.  
• The running of and maintenece of the Upstart radio show website. 

I am now looking forward to when these challenges will start resembling something smaller than the size of a mountain, but after having met these Upstarters and working so closely with my team, I will prevail until my next blog post!  (We hope!)

Nadia 

*Below are images from the Saturday workshop we had with the Upstart members. 

BK giving a presentation on interviewing.

Thobani figuring out the equipment.

Mike focusing hard on the presentation :)

In studio- the how to 101!

Steve having a mock show with the Upstarters

Week One- Community Partnership Project: Yung Amplified/Upstart

I am shit-scared. Those were about the most accurate thoughts that went flying through my head when we were introduced to the community partnership project (Upstart/Yung Amplified). Not the best response, I know, but bear with me, it was daunting!

 It was daunting knowing that I would have to work in the Grahamstown community with a group of people who have already established themselves and have as much to say as I, a Fourth Year Radio Student does. Daunting again when I met their ‘leader’ Shireen Badat who is clearly the spine of the project and the watchdog who will growl at you lest you tread on her children’s toes. I would like to think however that I am starting to absorb all of the information (slowly) and prepare as swiftly as I can for a challenging yet (hopefully!) rewarding term. 

The purpose of the project I think will become clearer as I start to work and engage with Upstart. I think for now however, the purpose is to launch a group of Upstart kids into the world of radio and to ensure that as we step slowly away from the project into our own lives come 2013, they should be able to manage and sustain the Yung Amplified radio show. I also think the purpose for us as students is to ensure that we engage not only critically and ‘professionally’, but at a level that is appropriate and engaging for this specific audience. I would like to think that Jeanne and Shireen are trying to engage us in ‘real-life’ situations which will give us the skills to tackle the working world and any project that comes our way. The purpose therefore will be a mutual transfer of knowledge, skills and friendship (I like the friendship part the most!).  

I don’t say this proudly, but when I think about the kinds of people I’ll be working with and about the kinds of communities I will be exposed to, I think instantly of poverty. Let me explain my thoughts and position on this: When I say ‘poverty’, I think about children without adult supervision during the day- these would include youngsters below the ages of 7- years old. I think of people struggling to buy food in a week, large numbers of people in a one-room house and dusty back yards as their ‘gardens’. Instantly, I also find myself thinking that this community are all illiterate and I wouldn’t be able to communicate with them. But then I think about Upstart/Yung Amplified and this directly challenges my ‘middle-class’ assumptions. These pupils are tackling stereotypes and proving that they are as educated, as motivated and as excited about learning as I am. I’m quite happy that they have challenged and proved me wrong on certain points, and I cannot wait to see what else they will show myself and my team. There is certainly a whole other side of education that they know that I do not and they might see me as illiterate in their world. 

There is a lovely quote which describes my assumptions and the manner in which they will be challenged. It is by Oscar Wilde and it goes: “When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.” Therefore, from this blogpost onwards, I choose (and will try my hardest) not to make an “ass out of you and me”.

The Upstart/Yung Amplified project is tricky in terms of trying to place the children we will be working with into a ‘needy’ box. This group has grown in strength and is functioning quite well on their own. It almost seems like WE need THEM at the moment. But the youngsters that we will be engaging with are from communities that have challenges and may need some ‘time-out’ from these situations to engage in new and stimulating activities- that being the medium of radio. I think the needs of these Upstart members probably range from just needing friendship to actually needing an escape from difficult and challenging situations, such as alcoholic parents. From working on the Ukufunda Radio Show last year, I think there is in particular a need for more literacy awareness in these communities. Through a project like this, I feel strongly that we will be able to tackle these head on. 
   

I have learnt a lot in my time here at Rhodes and I think the most was through the ‘Journalism, Democracy and Development course’. Reason being because I felt as though there was a two-way flow of information, skill and communication. Usually as a journalist, you feel that as the outsider, you get the story and you swoop out again. For the JDD project, we got to know the people- we felt as though we were a part of the community itself- for me, that is what makes good journalism. 

I want to offer this project something similar to last year’s project. I would like to offer my skills, time and friendship. I have accumulated a number of ‘professional’ (I still contest this issue) skills that I can offer this project ie: helping to produce the Yung Amplified Radio Show for organisation, Upstart.

Very often it’s so easy to forget to actually learn or try to take in something new when in the daily motions of interviewing, finding stories, hunting down sources etc. I would like to constantly refer back to this blog and try open up to this often. I believe that I will learn how to communicate effectively with a number of people through their varying ages. The Upstart project caters mainly for high school pupils and there are different organisations involved in the running and sponsorships of it. Working with these organisations as well as the Upstart members will ensure that I constantly challenge myself and learn to adapt easily to different situations. 

I will also learn to take a step back as I like to be in control very often. For this project to work well, these pupils will need to learn what they can from me and the team, and while they learn, I need to take small steps backwards giving them the chances to flex their radio muscles. I think at the end of this process, my initial thoughts of “I am shit-scared” will still be there. But this time, the difference will be because I will not want to leave the new-formed friendships, interactions and lessons I learnt from the community partnership projects. I look forward to that change.    

*Click here to see the link to the Upstart website. 

Week One- Interview with Jeanne

 In our first week in Radio 4, our lecturer Jeanne DuToit interview the Radio class to find out a bit more about who we are, where we come from and our ideas revolving Journalism. Below is the transcript of this interview. Enjoy :)  

00:00     (Jeanne) If I press play, it should start recording…

00:01     (Nadia) Ya…

00:01     (Jeanne) It should start recording… ok we’ve got a recording. Ok um, it is now, twenty past two on uh… February the 14^th and I’m interviewing Nadia Moore. Um, Nadia, let me just start, I…haven’t actually looked at this interview schedule for a while… so the first thing I want to talk to you about is about growing up, um and the impact that it’s made on your decision to become involved in journalism. Um, so… when you were a child, what can you tell me about the kid of journalism you were primarily exposed to? Um, ya…   

00:40     (Nadia) Um, well I, I lived with my grandparents for quite a lot of my life, um, so they were, they quite enjoyed the news, the seven o’clock news every night and um, we always had the radio on in the house and my grampa would buy two weekly newspapers, or no, two daily newspapers and one weekly every Sunday. So there was quite a bit of journalism in the house and news was quite a common feature, so we’d sit down at 7 o’clock and watch the news. Either e-tv or SABC.

01:11     (Jeanne) So, it was primarily newspaper journalism and television journalism was it?

01:15     (Nadia) Um, ya but then the radio as well was always on. On the way to school we’d listen to the news, on the way back we’d listen to news, or generally those times. Um, and during, throughout the day, so ya.

01:24     (Jeanne) Was it primarily journalism and news that interested you about the media, or were there other things that you were also, listening to, or watching or reading…?

01:33     (Nadia) Um, I think just the media in general. I quite enjoyed, um just TV um reading… my grampa really got me into reading so I would read that little kid’s section in the newspaper with him, radio I’d listen to the shows… but the news was quite a common feature, we’d discuss it and talk about it and get quite shocked and amazed so ya.

01:52     (Jeanne) So this is something you did as a family is talk about the news…

01:54     (Nadia) Mmm..ya, and um, especially in my community because it’s a, it’s you know, not as um elite as other communities and you’d be very surprised at how aware people are and they constantly discuss and are like, oh did you hear about you know, Jacob Zuma or the, people are very involved.

02:10     (Jeanne) Where is this?

       

02:11     (Nadia) Um, it’s in Eshowe, Zululand. Um, it’s a small town and you know, what, and um, my one friend had come down and he said that um, we’re still quite divided in terms of, from Apartheid. You can see, you can actually see the differences in the coloured, indian, white and black communities. You know like the bridge separates the coloured community and there is a certain highway that separates the indian community. But um… slowly slowly we’re integrating. But it’s still, you know, we’re very involved though, people you know in terms of news and what’s going on.

02:41     (Jeanne) So when you, you talk about these different communities, which of those communities were you part of? 

02:45     (Nadia) Um, well it, because of the school I went to, my grandparents um, put me, it was, um, I’m Catholic so, I went to the Convent school and integrated with everyone. So, it was I knew, I knew everyone, I had friends, we were going to their farms, and they would come to my house in Sunnydale so it was really nice. There was a mixture and we grew up just like, ah what ever, you know. They, my grandparents were very shocked about that though, because, you know having, bringing home a black and a white friend, was like oh wow, hi (laughs) so ya, but, I was sort of everywhere.

03:14     (Jeanne) And, and, with which of those people you mixed with did you primarily speak to, uh, uh, you were talking about talking about, Zuma and politics and things like that, who did you speak to about politics?

03:25     (Nadia) Um, my grampa. Quite a bit and he, he is, will still say to me now, when I go home, ah, I don’t see you reading the newspaper, what kind of journalist are you. Um, but he is generally the politics person um, but then you know, teachers, and uh my mom some while she’s cooking you know she’ll be talking about and “oh did you hear that” and ya…

03:42     (Jeanne) Ok, And um, how would you say that shaped your understanding of journalism, the kind of conversations you had with your family? And I suppose just living in a small town, and seeing the things you saw round you?

03:52     (Nadia) Um, I think that it didn’t um, I was quite aware, because I came to University and you know you meet some people here who never, didn’t really have those conversations, they seem to be quite isolated, whereas… and you’d think that uh, being in sort of my community we’d not know as much as other people but, there’s you know, I found that I was much more aware and willing to take in and learn and not be totally turned off to what is going on in the world and South Africa and just anywhere and ya….

04:20     (Jeanne) So, it’s, it’s not just about journalism, in fact, it’s about social awareness and being switched on and caring about what happens around you?

04:26     (Nadia) Ya, and I think that plays a big, uh, a big role especially in like, in like how I like to practice my journalism, like I prefer, you know in depth pieces instead of quick news stories that just really frustrates me. I really enjoy getting involved with people and talking to them

  

and finding out, you know what’s their favourite colour, why do they do what they do and things like that, ya.

04:45     (Jeanne) So, if, if, I understand you correctly, it’s not so much news journalism but more in-depth exploratory journalism that interests you?

04:53     (Nadia) Ya, and um, strange enough, I’d never really thought of practicing that kind of journalism in my community but after doing sort of the JDD course last year and you know and working in, um, I was working in, uh, Scottsfarm, so it’s a predominantly coloured community as well and very similar to like my kind of community and then I could see all these stories popping up. But it’s just very weird, how you’d never think of using your community as a subject, as a, as a form but I was like you know, now I think about it and I was like, there’s so many stories, that I can cover. And it’s great cause you know all these people but then you know it can also come with a lot of complexities and stuff… ya

05:28     (Jeanne) Um, wh, I want to talk to you a little bit more about your experience of the department and, and teaching here. But before we get into that, get to that, can you maybe think back a little bit to the time when you first decided to go to University? What motivated you to come to University, I suppose firstly and secondly, to come to Rhodes?

05:45     (Nadia) *Laughs* my grampa, *laughs* um, my grampa is a principle, teacher and everything so education is quite high on his list and I mean he taught me to read and um, I think it was just always expected of me that I would go to University because I have sort of been the uh, shining star in my family, academically…

05:58     (Jeanne) Where do you, you fit into the family? In terms of first child, second  child, where?

06:03     (Nadia) Well, um, my parents are divorced so I was the only child between the two of them, and then so I am the eldest. Um, so, um, I’m sort of setting the path, so lots of expectations and that kind of thing, but then I kind of, it’s it’s a very interesting relationship because I’ll put my dad and my mom sort of back in their place cause my mum got remarried and so did my dad…

06:19     (Jeanne) And they had, more children after that I assume… Is that how it works?

06:22     (Nadia) Yes… it’s two, my dad has two boys and my mom has a son and daughter. Um, and it’s just interesting like they, treat me as an equal which is really great. So I can say to my dad, don’t you know, put too many expectations on my brother, because if he doesn’t want to go to University, it’s ok, because University is, um is for a certain kind of person. Not saying, necessarily saying we’re better, but it’s just um, it’s a different kind of thinking and that kind of thing. But my grampa was very much the main one who, expects me to go to University.  I wanted to as well, but the plan was to study medicine and then um, I hated physics and maths so I decided no, this is not good for me, and I thought well, I really like people, and I cant see myself sitting in an office all day um…Cause they wanted me to do accounting as second choice and then I decided Journalism. My family weren’t too happy about that decision but they supported me.

       

07:09     (Jeanne) What did they say to you? Why weren’t they happy?

07:11     (Nadia) Um, I think you know, cause, again, in my community you want someone who’s gonna come out of the community having studies something um, you know it, it’s all the big names, like lawyer, doctor, and my gran had said, well if you don’t do medicine, why don’t you do pharmacy? And I was like, I don’t wanna be stuck behind a counter. I want to go out and see people and you know get involved. Um, but then once they see, now they see how far I’ve got, and you know and what I’m doing and they’re all very proud. And my friend was coming to Rhodes and so I decided that well, if I’m going to do thin I’m going to try and go to the best place in the country and I’d heard really good stories about Rhodes and I thought well, well, ya. 

07:49     (Jeanne) And why radio journalism?

07:50     (Nadia) Um, initially it was writing, it’s just all these things have changed along the way, it it it was writing initially, um, and then I did the second year course with radio and I just thought, actually, I’ve always loved radio, I had never thought of doing that I was like, it’s just you know, it’s just the dj’s and that kind of thing and, and there’s so many more aspects to it and then I thought well, you know let’s give it a go. And I think my family were shocked again *laughs* but, um, Ya, they they were supportive once again. Once they started hearing what I was started producing they were quite happy about it.

08:21     (Jeanne) And when you, say that you love radio, what is it that you love about radio?

08:24     (Nadia) Um, I love that it’s um, and I mention on my, my my wix, my blog as well that it’s um, not as invasive as TV or you know you, you’re able to capture a lot, you’re able to play around with the sound. Whereas I feel with writing, um, it’s just um, I mean writing is less invasive than radio but, then and TV it’s less invasive than um, that kind of journalism. An um, you’re, you’re able to maintain eye contact with the person and talk to them and um, they get used to it and it’s just you know, it’s a very, it’s just a close bond (Jeanne: intimate) ya, and I really enjoy that and I’m all about communication and intimacy so ya.

09:02     (Jeanne) Um, just to take things forward. So you came to Rhodes, um, and when, even beyond the journalism department, you were obviously part of a whole undergraduate programme. Tell me a little bit about that, what were your majors and what were some of the ideas that they introduced to you, what were some of the debates?

09:20     (Nadia) Um, well, my other major was history, it was supposed to be English *laughs* um, but um I changed to history because I enjoyed being able to choose my courses- history is very free that way and um, I took you know health journalism, um, I mean health disease and society course and it was fascinating! You know, challenging perceptions of what we view as, you know, why are doctors better than a sangoma for example and how can the two integrate? And I just though well that’s so great that will help me so much with journalism. Trying to breach you know, and bring together different ideas and worlds. And again I did, uh, a course on India and Indian history, and I just felt like coming from the community that I’m from, there’s always been this negative perception of other race groups

       

and stuff and I just felt like I didn’t know a lot about India and so learning about that and actually knowing, you know they were quite a high-tech society and thinkers and it was just so great knowing all that and being like, I’m challenging my perceptions and I just thought well, that applies so nicely in here. Now we’re doing Orientalism and we were doing that with our course, this year as well so it just all links up and it’s so great.

10:28     (Jeanne) So, um the kind of things you mentioning relate to I suppose, um, how one makes sense of different communities, different traditions, different social experiences, how people are different from each other, then maybe the oxidental oriental, is one way in which that works.

10:48     (Nadia) Ya, and, like, because in my community, um, you know because I think because we’re all like coloured people in one group and then you have these perceptions about other people. And I hate it when coming to Rhodes, you know, the first thing people say to me is, oh you’re not a real coloured, you cant talk like one. And that just *grrrrr* just grates me because, um, I’d like to think that I do challenge your perception of what a coloured person would be like. So, I’d like to think that my work will do the same, and having all this background knowledge helps me do that so, um, quite keen to see what happens. And you know in the future with all of that, and having been here at Rhodes, and I don’t think, um, I find my friend who is at Wits, she just doesn’t have the same outlook as I feel like I’ve picked up from Rhodes and, she’s, she’s, we’re in the same year, she’s just graduated but um, somehow, a lot of her thinking is still very much how we were when we left Eshowe. So it’s ya.

11:44     (Jeanne) So you’d say that your undergraduate education changed you as a person?

11:47     (Nadia) Most definitely. And I mean the biggest example is cutting my hair. Cause I come from a community where you have to straighten your hair and it has to be long and my gran would always fight me on that one. And the big decision was deciding to cut it into an afro, and I did a course about afros last year and it, it’s a symbol of pride, and and I just said to my gran, I’m just so tired of you know, why should we use relaxer and why should it be straight and you know like, so it’s it’s this constant battle, with, especially with my gran, my grampa I think more accepting. Um, if I sit down and I talk to him and I say, well this is why, and he’ll be like “ok”, and think about it. But my gran is very old school, and you know, she only went up to grade nine in education, so, very, very it’s it’s very difficult sometimes getting through to her. My mum is just like, ok, *laughs* we’ll do this, so ya *laughs*…

12:30     (Jeanne) And then, um, what about inside the school of journalism and media studies? What what if you think back from now, from first year to now, in fourth year, what jumps out at you as as, id, ideas that really made an impact on you in the course work?

12:43     (Nadia) I think for me, third year was one of the highlights, um, because uh, definitely the JDD course, um, I know sort of the theory side wasn’t as interesting as getting out into the community and doing things, but it was so great to see um, but I cant think of names but the theory related so well to what we were doing and just to see that journalism doesn’t have to

     

be um, I mean with Danika, we did objectivity and Glasser, and that for me has always stuck with me. In that um, why should we be objective? And you know, you lose you’re your citizenship, you lose being a citizen small things like that, and um…

13:18     (Jeanne) Just take that a bit more slowly… you say uh, you lose your citizenship when you are objective? For this, just explain that?

13:23     (Nadia) Um, I think what he said was that, um, your lose your ability to comment and have a social responsibility when you decide to take an objective stance. And by doing that, um, you just, you lose any, uh, any form of communication and any form of you know responsibility to people, you become an outsider. You’re just a social commentator. And that really hit home, and I was just like, uh, I don’t wanna do that! You know, I actually want to get involved so I was really happy with development pieces and the JDD course where we could actually get involved. And not parachute journalism and you know just saying, this side that side, little bit of commentary and out.

14:03     (Jeanne) So that links back to your comments about um, in-depth journalism that, that, immerses you within communities, rather than just a news bulletin item?

14:13     (Nadia) Ya, and I’d like to think that one day, you know, news items on SABC and etv and all these places will include these kinds of journalism that um… to change the views of people because I left, I came here thinking that objective news was the right way. My grampa would always say, you know Nadia, you need to always be objective. And now we were talking about that the other, this holiday, and he you know, it’s nice to see that he’s like “oh, well that, that’s interesting, you know I didn’t think of it that way, so it’s nice to, challenge these. AndI suppose challenge people as well in the process.

14:45     (Jeanne) Um, you say you don’t, you can really think of specific names of theorists, that you were exposed to. But maybe lets, lets talk about concepts. You’ve mentioned the objectivity thing but, um, wha, what, and you also mentioned development journalism, what would be other concepts, ideas, debates that stand out for you from those readings that you did last year in the third year course?

15:03     (Nadia) Um, well, um, I think it was possibly in second year as well, it was Harry Dugmore did the uh, course and he spoke about ‘professionalism’ and um, that for me was also another one I think and it, you know popped up again when we did objectivity and the two are so closely linked. And when you know, what is this idea of being professional, you know, who, says we should be professional and why you know? And you never really, you know you’re just like, to be a proper journo you need to be professional, and so that, that was pretty good and I know I’ve referenced that, those reading that he had given us from second year, in my last years work. And I constantly refer to them, and even just re-read them, which is terrible, *laughs* but just re-read them just to see you know, how that relates to what I’m doing now and just remind myself of where I’m going why I’m doing what I’m doing. To constantly question what I do.

        

15:48     (Jeanne) Ok, so if you were to summarise, from all of that, from all of these ideas that you’ve been exposed to um, all the different ways in which you’ve changed, how would you say that has shaped your understanding of, journalism as a form of knowledge about society and what I mean by that in particular is, what kind of journalism has would you say has credibility?

16:10     (Jeanne) um… I think, currently, what might have the most credibility and what’s needed a lot is development journalism. I think, I’m really, quite the advocate for it. But I do think that and um, getting in participation with people. I think those two work really well with people, to give people, a sense of empowerment and to know that we’re not in there and as media practitioners and we’re not going in there to um hound you for a story and to bring your world crumbling down. We’re there to also get the stories of things that are good, because news shouldn’t always be bad, um, it should also try and help you as a community develop your own community. And that’s what I learnt last year is that we don’t have to constantly go in there and want to change things we need people to want to change their own situations. Um and to not always like, gimme gimme, but to also learn and to um, do things on their own. And sometimes it’s hard but it’s, it’s not an easy process.

17:06     (Jeanne) What what role, what role do you think Journalism can play in, in facilitating something like that, that sort of empowerment that you’re talking about?

17:13     (Nadia) I think, what’s good with um, Journalism is that it highlights the issues and it says um, you know it could place importance on issues and make people more aware. Um, because without, you know people can just generally talk about it but you can have maybe like an outside coming in and saying well, maybe yes you’re right, maybe this is actually a problem. Like let’s tackle it and what ideas do you have and how can we deal with it?

17:34     (Jeanne) Ok, um, let’s get a bit more specific, um, and talk about radio production. So you’ve been, doing radio since second year, um, and what has been your experience of putting these ideas that you’ve spoken about into practice through your production of radio in both the second and third year assignments that you’ve been a part of… I’m assuming that some of these ideas that you’ve spoken about you’ve tried to put into practice, in your own work. What, tell me about that and how successful you’ve been in doing that?

18:04     (Nadia) Um, can I give you an example of a piece I had… (Jeanne- please…) I had a story, ‘Meals on Wheels’ last year with um, uh this lady Michelle Sparrow she’s the organiser and she works with Meals on Wheels in Grahamstown. And working with them was really great in that um, here’s a situation where people um, senior citizens are struggling, pension is just not covering things and um , they’re taking into their own hands you know. And so they get donations as well, but um, you have senior citizens going out and helping other senior citizens. Which was, I thought was so great! I was like, ah that’s wonderful! You have a 60 year old going to help a 70 year old it’s lovely *laughs*. Um and just going with them and um, saying, yes, this situation is an important one and people should know that it’s a problem, that you know, a lady out in the middle you know, in the township actually can’t support herself and her children don’t care for her. And how can we as a community get

       

more involved, so I tried to not show them as victims but as changing their own social situations. But, um, just needing that extra help, more, um be it, you know, um, more donations, or help in the kitchen or, um, driving around, you know, those small things. So ya…

19:18     (Jeanne) So what I’m hearing you saying is that um, that the kind of stories you’ve looked for are stories about agency, about people who are making a difference to their own communities. And simply by being there with your recorder and recording these stories, and sharing them, in a public sphere, you’re making some kind of a difference by supporting those people?

19:37     (Nadia) Ya, and I mean it came out again when we had to do our soundslides at the end of the year where we, we followed a librarian and It was so great to see that she organizes um people to come to her library and get schools involved and she goes out of her way and you know um, and how she gets her children interacting with literacy with English and Afrikaans, um, so putting her on a platform, and you know, we, showed this to the community, and they were like, oh well we know that person and oh she’s actually doing that and we could maybe do that with our kids. And I showed my mom that, cause my sister is five this year, so my mum was like, oh I didn’t think of that! So you know it’s really nice to see like another mother with her child and what she’s doing and she’s doing it well, and you know not the best but she’s doing what she can and you know people see that and go for it. And so you know, you just highlighted that and um, hopefully helped and gave her recognition and ya, I think people want that sometimes as well.

20:28     (Jeanne) So what I’m also hearing is, is not just about that story that you told but it’s also about what happens afterwards with the story, the kind of conversations that take place around that story, which is maybe some… why you end up taking a story back into the community and talking about it?

20:44     (Nadia) Yes, um, I think maybe one of the flaws that we didn’t do, is that maybe we should have conducted a focus group or something afterwards just to say, did this work, um, how well did it work, did you enjoy it, how can you carry on doing this. Um, but the people were so happy to see themselves on newspapers and um, in their own communities, so it was like seeing a familiar face, hearing a familiar voice on radio, seeing them in picture, um, and that for them and so it was nice to see that something had happened after our journalism. It wasn’t, it didn’t just stop there, and that was it. It continued so people are now practicing her ways of teaching her child. So that was really nice…

21:20     (Jeanne) Um, if if you thing about the fourth year course when, and what you know about the fourth year radio course now, where do you see opportunities for you to take further some of your own ideas about radio journalism? And the role that it will play in society?

        

21:33     (Nadia) Um, I’d like to think, especially with my documentary, I’ve you know, been toying around with a few ideas and stuff and I’d like to think that, that can you know, I can like, not forget uh, what I did last year and what I hope, who I hope to become as a journalist and stuff and use that in my journalism. Um and I’d like to think that people you know continue um, thinking about these ideas and recycling them and talking about them because I think once um, you stop talking then, you know um, hope is lost. Um and it’s not for the government or the municipality to only change things. You know you as a person, need to take a stand and just do something. So I’d like to think that our journalism encourages that kind of thing. And I think this year will be a good platform to do that.

22:16     (Jeanne) But, if you think, you’ve mentioned the documentary, in particular, why does that stand out for you? What, what is it about documentaries that lends itself to the kind of journalism that you want to do?

22:25     (Nadia) Um, I think it’s just spending time with um, people getting to know them longer, showing them that um, you’re really interested in what they have to say. And then you know, having something to produce and then having something to show for it at the end. Um, compared to you know, 30second clip for a news piece. Um so I think with a documentary, people will feel more involved and you know, getting them more involved in the process and showing them that you know, you have, as much to learn as much as they do from me. So I’d like to think that that’s where it links and comes together.

22:58     (Jeanne) But, that almost sounds more, in the way you describe it, is closer to the other project that you being asked to do in the community partnership. I mean how do you feel about that part?

23:07     (Nadia) Um, quite excited but ya nervous as well because you don’t want to, I think because you, I think when it comes to deadlines, I think that’s always a problem, a big problem with journalism, deadlines and stuff and you’re pushing people and uh, you need things on time and then they might lose interest and that kind of thing, but um, you want it to youknow the flow to keep going, and that the respect, the input to come from both sides. So I’m hoping that it’s constant and it’s you know more, you know it meets our expectations much more…

23:38     (Jeanne) So I suppose, the um, the community partnerships project is a little bit more intimidating because you’re going to have to depend on other people? And there are complex logistics involved whereas the radio, documentary is very much your project and you can decide how to do it?

23:52     (Nadia) I think you can choose the people you want to talk to, whereas with the community projects, it’s sort of it’s set out who you need to talk to and um, it’s a bit more of a challenge as you don’t know what you’re gonna get… ya I suppose you don’t really know what you’re gonna get. But with the documentary you kind of sat down and said, I’m doing this and I plan to do this and speak to this person and that comes together that way. So, so it’s still very much your guidance, but with the community one it’s just kinda like, it’s a team already made and you’re just getting slotted in *laughs*

 

24:22     (Jeanne) Um, what, areas can you identify that you still feel that you need to grow in terms of your theoretical and intellectual understanding of you know, what it means to be a critical journalist?

24:35     (Nadia) I think, um…to constantly keep challenging ourselves and in terms of um, like I’ll always go back to it, to being professional and objective and um, all the different theories that we’re, that we learnt in the JDD course, um, I think those are the kinds of things that especially with this year, we need to constantly go back to and in future and just find out where are we going wrong, how can we better ourselves and to not lose sight of those goals.

25:08     (Jeanne) And then finally, um, by the end of this year, what would you like to achieve in terms of deepening and strengthening your approach to the practice of audio journalism?

25:17     (Nadia) I’d like to think that my technical ability will be great, um but, um, I think that just learning the skills of dealing with um, you know team work, individual people, um individuals, um and working with a variety of people, um not limiting myself, uh because I know, you know when you get really busy you tend to want to focus on people that you would get on better with so, an English speaking person for example. Um, instead of taking the extra time to speak to a Xhosa person, who is limited in English but is till, you know, um, because, you know they, everyone has something important to say and only deciding to focus on an English speaking group of people would totally cut down your sources, and other content that you’ll produce so I think you know, by the end of the year, I’d really like to try have a little bit better, be a bit better with my Xhosa *laughs* and um, just to not forget that um, to deal with all kinds of people, and to be culturally aware and to remember diversity and you know that kind of thing.

26:18     (Jeanne) Thank you Nadia….