Members of Independent Newspaper’s editorial and marketing team met with EDU Africa students visiting Cape Town from the University of Wisconsin in the United States, and gave the students some context on how diverse and full of depth our media landscape is.
The educational program aspires for students to experience holistic transformation during our programs in Africa.
EDU Africa has developed programs that give students access to experiential learning scenarios, high-calibre industry and academic professionals, and sustainable community initiatives.
EDU Africa works with students from schools and universities, mostly US-based, to build transformative learning experience programs.
The current crop of students visiting the country are on an educational program focusing on Media and Social Change.
Jackson Skarp, 19, from Minnesota, said that what appealed to him was that he was looking for a super unique experience, and felt like studying abroad was just one of the best ways to do that.
“I’ve always loved writing, and I initially got into it as the student government reporter because I was interested in politics. So just kind of diving into that was super fun.”
Skarp said that the discussion from Independent Newspaper’s team was enjoyable as it touched on a wide variety of issues including gender-based violence which is “a lot more prominent here than it is in the United States”.
“I’m actually the editor for my school newspaper, so I thought everything was super interesting. It was really good, and it was great to hear from professional journalists and editors.”
Bella Walker, 21, from Wisconsin added that the lecture was so fascinating.
“My favourite parts have been hearing people like you guys talk about your experiences specifically because, I mean, you can see pictures of the landmarks and everything, but the only way that you can truly experience a country is by talking to its people.”
Walker added that being in SA while elections were taking place has been “quite insane” because of how many similarities there are.
“Of course, there are plenty of differences, but I've been trying to talk to citizens about their opinions on the elections and the way that they speak on, like the DA and the EFF, and how different they are, and how the ANC is like somewhere in the middle. From their perspective, it really reminds me of how polarised we are in the US.
“I feel like you guys might be a little more polarised here for sure, but especially the MK party and Zuma reminds me a lot of Trump, post the 2020 election and the way of inciting violence.”
Independent Newspaper’s Rehana Rutti said that the experience was a powerful reminder that, despite our different countries and media landscapes, we share a common goal: to connect with audiences and tell stories that matter.
“At a time when truth matters most, it’s clear that our shared commitment to honest storytelling transcends borders and mediums, uniting us in a shared pursuit of journalistic excellence.”
theolin.tembo@inl.co.za