MCM 409: Community Media and Relations

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students will

1. research community needs and problems and produce a fact sheet;
2. audit broadcast the contents (content analysis) with regard to community needs and problems; and the role and qualities of radio and television;
3. produce a SWOT analysis; plan community development projects for implementation through special radio programmes using the result of the SWOT analysis and fact sheet;
4. write and produce a programme;
5. evaluate the programme for impact;
6. audit the contents (content analysis) of rural community, small municipalities and

urban neighbourhoods’ newspapers;

• explain the audience and business and management procedures of rural community, small municipalities and urban neighbourhood newspapers;
• apply management and economic theory to the management process in the community newspaper business; write, edit and publish contents for the rural community, small municipalities and urban neighbourhood newspapers;
• define community relations;
• discuss community relations and its effectiveness as an element in the overall public relations programme; and
• explain the untraditional approaches using case histories to demonstrate how to cope with crisis situations.

Course Contents

This course is focused on rural broadcasting, rural community newspaper and community relations. It analyses community needs and problems with regard to the role and qualities of radio, television and newspaper. Analysis of community needs and problems with regard to the role and qualities of radio/TV, planning of community development projects for implementation through special radio/TV programmes; and programme production and evaluation research; also writing, editing and publishing weekly or regular newspaper for the rural community, small municipalities and urban neighbourhoods; content analysis, readership research and business and management procedures. It also looks at relations and how effective community relations can be an essential element in the overall public relations programme of organisations, focusing on untraditional approaches and case histories to demonstrate how to cope with crisis situations.

Note: The Course Lecturers should be made up of journalism, broadcast and PRAD experts.