Distance Learning for Journalists

Online journalism training in Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland has been generally positive experience.

The project used iLearn, a modular training online learning system devised by the BBC World Service Trust for media professionals in developing countries.

The project translated enough material to create 8 courses online, including modules on basic journalism skills and ethics, courses on reporting conflict and war, reporting politics, editorial guidelines and professional codes of conduct.

There was a course on ‘Reporting Elections in Somaliland’ which combined material on  covering elections with a section on the code of conduct that had been produced in collaboration with the project and guarantees press freedom to journalists who report elections in a fair and balanced manner.

A number of senior journalists were trained up as online trainers, and Yonis Nur, the project’s senior trainer, also acted as online mentor to a number of trainees.

 

Somali iLearn journalists discussing submissions during their training at Hargeisa University.  After a short introduction to the iLearn system, and some 'training the trainer' sessions, they went on to become online mentors

In Mogadishu, where the security situation made training visits impossible, journalism training was made possible via the internet and Mogadishu-based mentors that had been trained in Hargeisa.

Hargeisa University played a key part in iLearn’s success in the region: as well as providing trainees and hosting training the trainer sessions, the online trainer there used iLearn courses as a pre-entry requirement for journalists involved in the African Virtual University’s graduate programme.

Women trainees make up 25% of the total online users. It is interesting that this is  different from face-to-face journalism training courses where the proportion is usually 1:10. Traditionally women in Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland are not encouraged by their employers or institutions to participate in the face to face training workshops.

Centers, Active Users and Course Completions

CENTER	ENROLLMENT	ACTIVE USERS	COURSE COMPLETIONS
Amoud/Borama	50	20	30
Bossaso	41	32	47
Hargeisa	432	120	180
Mogadishu	81	33	43
TOTAL CENTERS    4	TOTAL ENROLLMENT   604	TOTAL ACTIVE   205	TOTAL COURSE COMPLETIONS   300