RUTV 3

This brave woman breaks the silence

During our attempt at Public journalism we learnt the importance of civic mapping and the vital importance of allowing the people of the community to set the agenda. The point of public journalism is to give people a voice in order to defy the spiral of silence that conventional journalism tends to perpetuate. Public journalism through a grass roots approach aims to create awareness and thus bring about change. To do this we held a focus group meeting where we asked members of the community what crimes they feared most. It was discovered that rape was the most feared and even the men agreed. 

After two weeks of civic mapping within extension six to nine in Grahamstown we found two brave women who were willing to tell their stories and speak out against rape. This was particularly relevant considering that one of the issues in the community was one where people were too afraid to report crime as well as to blow the whistle against crime in the community.

The difficulties we faced regards desire for her anonymity, as to protect her from any re-victimisation as well as from any further emotional suffering our intervention and representation of her may cause. Another importance of public journalism is bridging the gaps between different spheres of the community. Thus we invited a social worker and psychologist to our community meeting, not only to bridge these gaps but also to act as a mediator between community members who attended and the women on which our documentaries are based. This clip is from a documentary in which a brave woman tells her story.

 Public Journalism in Grahamstown.

We were assigned to the areas of the CBD and Oatlands.  As Rhodes students, our group was already very familiar with these areas. Our first move was to create a civic map of the entire area; this entailed speaking to businesses as well as residents and the transient community on the streets about the area’s crime rate, or any problems;  social or political that the community feel need to be addressed. We found that the biggest issue businesses and residents experienced were petty crime, break-ins and begging. Most businesses and residents seem sure that the perpetrators are street children and beggars. So we decided that for our documentaries we would focus people who rely on the streets of the CBD to make some money. We came across Given (Informal Lily seller) and Robocop (Informal car guard/ Washer). After speaking to both these characters we gained more insight into their lives and how they themselves have been affected by crime. Both themselves former criminals, they now are part of the informal business life of the Grahamstown CBD.

The main point about civic journalism is that the journalists are citizens first, and media practitioners second. We spoke with Given and Robocop and discussed our own experiences of crime. We engaged on a level where we shared similar stories and spoke about ways that we could all work together to combat the crime problem in the CBD.

Steps on how to prepare for your ascent up the rock!

If you’ve got a thing for horror movies, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll want to make your own and it’s highly possible that you’ve been wondering how horror movie directors get the horror sound effect. This is how.

At the africa Day lecture held at Rhodes University Thabo Mbeki said a lot still needs to be done in improving education and that the lack of efforts to fight poverty and under-development remains one of the continent’s major challenges. Women living on the Kwandwe Private Game Reserve have found a creative way to turn rags into riches through the uNnopopana craft centre.

Leah and Laea show you how it’s done.