Media News South Africa

Inventing in future journalists

The National Press Club and Pretoria-based PR firm Junxion Communications each presented the journalism department of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) with a R12 000 grant at the club's year-end networking event in Pretoria earlier this week. The grants are to be used as a contribution to an exchange programme between TUT and the Windesheim University in The Netherlands.

Now running for more than ten years, the exchange programme has enjoyed support from the National Press Club since its inception and it will see student achievers Tshegofaso Maake and Julian Yon attending a five-month course at Windesheim next year.

Ben Rootman, member of Junxion Communications, said the decision by his firm to match the press club's grant this year was a logical one. “As a veteran journalist turned public relations practitioner, the journalism profession remains close to my heart. Our managing member, Martin van Niekerk, is an alumnus of the former Technikon Pretoria, now TUT.

“We recognise the interdependence of the two professions and with TUT's track record in training achievers in both, it is our pleasure to join the press club with this grant, helping to invest in journalists of the future.”

Dr Pedro Diederichs, head of the journalism department at TUT, welcomed the grants, saying support from people in the profession is essential in the training of students. “Our exchange programme with Windesheim is a wonderful opportunity for two of our students each year and this support is invaluable.”

Rootman is a former chairman of the National Press Club and club exco member Eagan Williamson completed the course at Windesheim in 2001.

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