A section of different media outlets and university lecturers recently convened to discuss how the curriculum of journalism studies in Rwandan universities, with many saying that it does not meet the current needs of the industry. Their meeting and gathering was partly informed by an observation that students in universities don’t have resources in their schools to help them get practical skills, and a short period of time allotted for their internships is another barrier to acquiring the needed skills from media houses. Among their concerns were that some of the students or even graduate do not master any language, which makes it difficult for them to communicate effectively, while others requested universities to reconsider the one month internship period, which they said was not enough Other employers called to be brought on board during the formulation of the new curriculum are the employers whom he say have interacted with graduates and who therefore know the gaps that need to be plucked. Meanwhile, stakeholders suggested that an entry-level exam be introduced for students wishing to pursue journalism – an exam that would focus mainly on language. Their concerns are legit and timely as across the world, the media industry has been undergoing a revolution that is changing multiple aspects. Among the fact changing aspects include the changing information cycles whereby news subjects often break the news themselves, false news, demand for analytical content as well as existence on multiple platforms to carry news beyond the traditional outlets. This in turn means that audiences’ demand and needs from news outlets are growing complex with limited timespans allocated to traditional forms of news outlets. Further, the changing landscape also calls for changing business models for media outlets to maintain revenues and remain in business. All this calls to rethink the skillsets and capabilities of media professional and practitioners.
