Cellphone project gets youth talking

Nineteen students from 10 tertiary institutions nationwide took part in cellphone reporting exercises, conducted by Highway Africa and LoveLife, in Grahamstown, recently.

Part of the 2011 Future Journalist Programme, cellphones were used to produce visual material for broadcast.

In a trial run, the students gathered footage through their cellphones, added narration and edited the footage.

Then they went and interviewed LoveLife Mpintshis at the NG Dlukulu clinic in Extension 7.

Mpintshis, or "friends", aged 12-17, help the LoveLife groundBREAKERs, volunteer peer educators aged 18-25, run motivational programmes, promote fitness and health, challenge one to think creatively, discuss sexual health and sexuality, conduct sports and debating leagues and facilitate radio production and broadcasting.

The Mpintshis shared with the cellphone reporters their personal experiences of acceptance, jealousy, relationships and abuse.

Second-year journalism student, Sibulele Magini, from Rhodes, interviewed Asanda Zokoza, a Mpintshi from Port Alfred, about her experience of domestic violence. Her father had inflicted physical abuse on her mother until her parents separated, in 2009.

The programme's co-ordinator, Moagisi Letlhaku, said the objective was to help the participants develop, both personally and career-wise.

"The students look at personal narratives and at the volunteer work the Mpintshis do," Letlhaku said. "It is fascinating to do some real work, and deal with real people with real issues and we realised that it is a great idea for young people to interview each other.

"There is an emerging trend in the field of news and content-generation to use cellphones as a reporting tool," said Moagisi.

Moagisi said it created a platform for students, from both advantaged and disadvantaged schools to learn innovative ways to collect and report news.

Fourth-year TV student, Duduetsang Makuse, said the computer programme, Windows Movie Maker, was used to edit the footage.

"It is the most affordable, and people can use it at home."

Highway Africa assistant co-ordinator, Nqobile Sibisi, said, "We have demystified the notion that journalism requires expensive equipment. Students used their own mobile phones to capture footage. Phones ranged from Nokia 5130 Express Music, 5230, E90, Samsung E250 and Galaxy Gio S5660 to Blackberries.

"These devices, coupled with sound-editing freeware, Audacity, and Windows Movie Maker, have given birth to incredible documentaries for television and multimedia broadcasting."

Although 2011 marks the fourth year of Highway Africa's Future Journalist Programme, it is the first time the programme has been run in collaboration with LoveLife and Letlhaku hopes to form a more solid partnership.

Fifty-six graduates have been produced from the programme in the past three years.

"A lot of people have ideas, but the implementation of them is a mission.

"It has been wonderful working with LoveLife. We now hope to make it more of a sustainable partnership in future, not just a collaboration," Letlhaku said.

LoveLife Regional Programme Manager in the Western Region, Simphiwe Mbambani, briefly explained the organisation's role in the project.
"Our sub-theme is Sexuality in Grahamstown. I spoke on the sub-theme and advised on how best to report on its different aspects. It is a great topic and I trust the students will make the most of it."

Paddy Donnelly, Rhodes University's Television Production Manager in the journalism department, said being a reporter or cameraman was not only about filming, but also about getting into the interviewee's character.