SOL PLAATJE INSTITUTE FOR MEDIA LEADERSHIP
Postgraduate Diploma in Media Management
MTN Scholars 2010
KATIE WILTER
Katie Wilter is a 23-year-old graphic designer from Cape Town who completed a Bachelor of Journalism degree (BJourn) with a specialisation in Communication Design at Rhodes University in 2008. Having worked in the media industry throughout 2009, she has a clearer understanding of where she would like to focus her energies within this dynamic industry. As a young professional, Katie would like to develop media management skills which will assist her in enhancing her career objectives as a graphic designer.
Katie has worked as a graphic designer in her hometown for various media institutions including Highbury Safika Media’s Sports Team where she worked on magazines such as SARugby, SACricket, Business Day Sports Monthly, Sowetan Soccer, Road To London 2012 and Foschini Sports Club Monthly. She freelanced as a graphic designer at Picasso Headline Publications as well as Triumph International where she worked closely with their Marketing department in launching new fashion ranges, marketing campaigns, branding and packaging garments, and designing their new website.
The relevant work experience which Katie has received in Media Publishing, supported by her education in journalism, has provided her with invaluable opportunities to develop her training in and understanding of Graphic Design, Desk Top Publishing and Online Media. As a PDMM student, Katie strives to be at the forefront of the ongoing development of South Africa’s media industry in this regard and, as such, intends to acquire skills relevant to the business side of the media industry.
As a 2010 MTN scholarship recipient, Katie envisions graduating from the PDMM course with the insight and skills needed to start and manage her own graphic design studio or facilitate the creation of a new magazine title. Perhaps before reaching this dream, she would be able to project manage or work within middle management of a media agency to develop her skills and competencies further.
To find out more about Katie Wilter, contact her on (+27)83 288 8854 or on katiewilter@gmail.com,
To explore more of Katie’s work, visit the following links:
http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_tab_pro#profile-recommendations
www.triumph.com/za
http://www.pagegangster.com/p/DUUD4/3/
http://www.pagegangster.com/p/PZDG9/4/
http://www.hsm.co.za/
http://www.picasso.co.za/
LUZUKO BUKU
Luzuko is a community media and activism media activist and is currently studying towards a Post-graduate Diploma in Media Management (PDMM) offered by the Rhodes University’s Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership. His interest and passion for community media started as early as 1999 when he, together with his friends, started circulating boxing stories and gossip in some parts of Mdantsane, a township popularly known for boxing in East London, where he is originally from. This developed to the extent where they started circulating it in pamphlets and to this day funding is being organised to make sure that this initiative is turned into a proper grassroots community newspaper specialising in boxing.
He has just obtained a Bachelor of Arts at Rhodes University specialising in Journalism and Politics. The interest in journalism from a young age is what made him choose pursuing a career in journalism. Lectures and former high school teachers know him by commitment, compassion, discipline and skill. He has received numerous awards in academia and the Percy Qoboza scholarship for commitment to the study of journalism is just but one of them. His excellent passing mark for the first year journalism course led him into receiving this scholarship.
He led in many organisations and is currently the Regional Chairperson of the South African Student Congress (SASCO). This means that he leads an organisation that stretches from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s George campus in the Western Cape to Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape. As Regional Chairperson, he heads the organisations’ communication and policy formulation and advocacy office.
He is also the Deputy Secretary of the South African Youth Council (SAYC) in Makana Municipality. This structure is a coalition of different youth structures and there he represents the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA). He also heads the communication office of this civic organisation. In his spare time he enjoys reading Marxism-Leninism, as he utilises these as tool of analysis and guide to action.
He chose to do the Post-graduate Diploma in Media Management mainly because he believes it will equip him with the relevant theoretical and managerial skills and capacity to pursue his career as a community media and activism media practitioner. He would really love to see this field develop to greater heights, because it is the media that is nearest to the people of this country.
Contact Luzuko on luzukobuku@yahoo.com or +277 8 617 22 86
Follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/LuzukoBuku and or check him in his blog www.lbuku.blogspot.com
NELISA MQHEDLANA
Nelisa Mqhedlana is a postgraduate student at Rhodes University. She was born in the Eastern Cape but was raised in Cape Town. She graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Economics degree, majoring in Economics and Information Systems from Rhodes University.
She has been fascinated with Media since high school, where she was a part of her high school’s newspaper during its brief existence. This fascination and her desire to pursue a career in an exciting, constantly changing, and engaging industry led her to enrol for the PDMM course offered by the Sol Plaatjie Institute for Media Leadership in 2010.
She felt that this course was ideal in equipping her with the necessary skills it would require for her to enter into and succeed in the Media industry. Though uncertain as to where she wanted to be in the industry, she felt that the PDMM qualification would be beneficial in getting her ahead. The course would also offer her the opportunity to interact and network with a diverse group of future leaders in Media, whilst equipping her with the skills and expertise to excel in the field.
Having had very little experience with Media, she saw that PDMM is the best course she could take to get ahead. Her interests lie within New Media and Entertainment Media as she believes there are a high number of untapped resources in South Africa. She wishes to play a role in the development of the potential and talent that this country in order to see the South African media industry expand and compete with the rest of the world.
Having obtained her degree and having been the secretary of Chi Alpha (a society at Rhodes University) in 2009, amongst other leadership positions held earlier in her life, she possesses characteristics that are critical to achieving any goals she may set for herself. These qualities include being a hard worker, being punctual, and being able to adapt to any situation. These characteristics coupled with her drive, enthusiasm, passion, willingness to learn, and creativity ensure that she has the makings of a future leader.
Contact Nelisa on g07m2393@campus.ru.ac.za or +277 8 119 91 85
PENELOPE MASHEGO
Penelope Mashego is from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga; she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Media studies as well as politics at Rhodes University in 2010. She is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Media Management as she wants to understand what managing a media institution entails. She has worked for Mpumalanga’s provincial newspaper (Mpumalanga News) as a reporter and has also edited news bulletins for Mpower fm.
Penelope chose to do a course in media management because she has become concerned with the South African Media landscape. The reason for this is that despite having a great democratic system that affords its citizens a lot of freedom of expression, the numerous media houses in South Africa do not seem to reflect that. She realised this after studying South African Radio stations for her Journalism and Media Studies course. She found a similar situation in television.
Penelope found during her media studies that when it comes to broadcast (mainly radio stations), some people say that they feel left out as part of the audience. She also found out that sometimes these broadcasters are pushed into meeting their advertiser’s demands in order to acquire funding. This led to a lot of questions about the constraints of starting a company and she realised that she did not know enough on starting one. She then became interested in media management, particularly the diploma offered by the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership.
Penelope likes the fact that the course has such a wide variety of modules she will not only be able to manage a media institution but with the knowledge she will gain from this course, she will be able to run her own company.
Penelope has an acute sense of injustice which drives her to try and better the world she lives in by gaining useful experience and education which is why she is doing the Postgraduate Diploma in Media Management. She is also a hard worker and believes that anything is within reach as long as one is willing to put in the effort. Penelope seeks to use others criticism for self improvement and not let it hinder her development.
Contact Penelope on Np.mashego@gmail.com or +277 25 61 8 3 13
Last updated » 2010-03-31