Environment biggest public interest challenge, says USP media academic

Submitted by Narayan24 on Thu, 07/01/2010 - 7:42am

Shailendra Singh, head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific (USP), said this at the 2009 graduation ceremony of the SeaWeb lectures for journalists and journalism students.

Six USP journalism students took part on the course as part of their Journalism Production course.

Singh said participants taking the course had gained a more intricate understanding of ocean environmental issues that needed media focus.

“You graduates should take it upon yourselves to put the environment on the top of the news agenda,” Singh said.

The lecture series is a SeaWeb programme offering journalists and journalism students an introduction to marine science and critical ocean issues.

USP Journalism has an agreement with SeaWeb, a US-based nonprofit organisation that advances ocean conservation, for USP journalism students to attend the course.

The lectures typically take place each year over a six-month period and feature presentations by leading scientists and conservation professionals in Fiji.

Field trips are conducted to further enhance understanding of key ocean issues.

During his presentation, Singh touched on pollution and over-fishing in Suva waters.

He said that 30 years ago a piece of bread thrown over the Suva seawall drew a feeding frenzy but now the area was a dead zone.

He urged journalists to investigate the cutting of mangrove forests, which he said appeared to be illegal.

Singh also told graduates that learning was a continuous process, and as journalists it was their responsibility to acquire as much knowledge possible.

“This is not only good for your own professional development, but will also benefit the society that you serve,” said Singh.

“As journalists, you cannot afford to be unmotivated or uninterested when it comes to learning. You owe it to yourself and your people to be an educated and well-informed journalist.”