The School of Communication at the NWU Vanderbijlpark Campus opened its doors recently to 21 aspiring journalists from Vaalpark High School, sparking a day of storytelling, discovery, and digital media in a rapidly changing world.
With notebooks in hand and eyes wide with curiosity, they arrived ready to discover what it truly means to be a communicator in the twenty-first century.
The visit was no ordinary school excursion. Accompanied by the proud editorial team behind their school newspaper, Rozani Heyns and a colleague, the focus for the learners was on keeping newspapers relevant in the digital era through multimedia storytelling and different engagement strategies, as part of a technology initiative aimed at narrowing the gap between school journalism and professional media practice.
The highlight of the day was a workshop titled Journalism in Action, presented by staff members from the School of Communication. Designed to be immersive, practical and forward-thinking, the workshop set out to do what great journalism always does: reveal what is relevant, urgent and worth telling. “School newspapers are far more than classroom projects, they are the training grounds of tomorrow’s most powerful voices,” said lecturer Koos de Villiers.
Why school journalism matters
At a time when the media landscape is being transformed by algorithms, artificial intelligence and the relentless pace of digital publishing, the School of Communication believes the fundamentals have never been more important. School newspapers, staff members argued, play a vital role in enabling learner voices, giving young people the tools to engage critically and creatively with issues that affect their communities.
The aim of the workshop was clear: to introduce these aspiring reporters to the enduring value and evolving importance of journalism within a rapidly changing digital media environment. Learners were guided in developing a special edition of their school newspaper, a publication dedicated to the different degrees offered by the NWU, why a university degree is still relevant today, and balancing student life with academics.
The idea behind this was to enable learners to tell the NWU story to their peers from their perspective, enriched by a vivid visual report of their day on campus. And this was no theoretical exercise. Armed with cameras, phones and a keen eye for a story, the learners collected photo and video material across the campus, raw material that will find its way into the pages of that very edition.
The Value of School Journalism
Staff facilitated an engaging session on why school journalism projects matter, offering practical tips on layout, design and writing skills that participants could apply immediately. One of the most anticipated moments of the day was a live virtual engagement with NWU alumni Phenyo Selinda, currently working as journalist at Moneyweb. The sessions offered learners a rare, unfiltered view of professional journalism from people who once sat in the very same lecture halls. Phenyo brought real-world professional insight into the room, proving that the journey from campus to career is closer than it might seem.
Student Panel Discussion
Current NWU students shared candid reflections on life and study at the Vanderbijlpark campus, offering an honest, relatable perspective on what university life in communication studies looks like. Learners toured the campus, immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of an active media production environment while gathering audio, video and photographic content for their special edition.
A representative from the NWU Marketing Department presented a concise overview of the academic and extracurricular opportunities available to prospective students at the Vanderbijlpark campus.
The School of Communication's initiative reflects a broader commitment at NWU Vanderbijlpark to community engagement, outreach and the nurturing of the next generation of South African media professionals.
For many of the learners, this was their first time stepping inside a university. For all of them, it was a glimpse into a future where their voices, already being shaped through the pages of their school newspaper, could reach audiences far beyond the school gate.
The team responsible for planning and presenting the Journalism in Action workshop.
Back row: Melissa Arton-Powell, School of Communication administrative assistant; Malebo Malatji, part-time junior lecturer and NWU VC alumnus.
Front row: Naomi du Plessis, deputy director, School of Communication VC; Koos de Villiers, lecturer; Ziyaad Cassim, junior lecturer; and Keleabetswe Narenti, junior lecturer.
Why a university degree matters
Workshop toolkit
Eager, aspiring journalists
