Knowledge givers in communication

The two-day National Media Summit held at the Social Sciences research centre auditorium sponsored by Mass Communication Department of Kelaniya University was one of the most significant events that happened in the university circles of Sri Lanka.

The sponsors of the Mass Communication Department at present should be commended for the stupendous task by way of planning and executing. Twelve university academic units which teach mass communication, mass media and/or communication studies represented this national summit.

The cosponsorship came via the auspieces of Mass Media and Information Ministry and Higher Education Ministry. Basically some of the major factors relating to the teaching and learning of the various subject areas that encircle communication studies were discussed in terms of examples, experiences and influences from other global and local areas of innovations.

It was quite fascinating to observe the emphasis laid on the genesis or how it all started phenomenon.

In some it had been a chance occurrence, while in other had been a necessity. All in all the discussions were quite stimulating and resourceful for the understanding of the past, present and the future of the subject as received and at times challenged severely by the academic as well as non academic and professional circles from time to time.

The representatives had the chance of openly discussing their respective syllabii and other ideological views as well as methods of teaching and learning the subject areas. Social Sciences Dean Professor Chandrasiri Rajapaksa revealed the traits in the path of the 37-year old journey traversed as the oldest academic centre in the country in mass communication.

While tracing the historical aspects he too laid emphasis on how it grew up to be a job-oriented course attracting the attention of other academia sometimes in a mocking manner.

He, as well as the present Department Head Professor Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa traced how they succeeded in getting various practical training in such places as newspaper offices and broadcasting and television centres. Sometimes it so happened that some of the trainees were absorbed into the media units as practical media persons, who possess certain knowledge in theory and practice of the use of mass media. But it was emphasized that it was not a sweet smell of success.

In the last resort some became graduate teachers who were qualified to teach the subject of communication, but to their dismay it was not an accepted subject at school level. Then the struggle to include communication as a subject at school level was promoted.

Now at last media and communication studies has become a subject included for O-L and A-L which began last year. A series of discussions had gone underway in the promotion of the subject, and two pioneering text books have come out from the publications division of the ministry of education.

In addition the need to write the relevant supplementary readers has come to be an important issue. This was also a timely issue imported at the national summit.

Mass communication and/or communication studies, whatever the title refers, has come to stay in the academic sphere as a multi disciplinary subject area which embraces such subjects as tutory religion, language, literature and sociology, going hand in hand with research activities.

Day by day with the necessities of social evolution and global socio political issues, the links of the subject of communication tend to expand its horizons with this expansion the areas in the subject too tend to spread its existing stance in order to broaden the limits.

But as a number of university dons remarked this broadening does not mean to denature or liquefy the wisdom-giving nature of the subject. This was a controversial point as observed from various points of view.

Should the content of the subject be based in order to meet the demands of the media industry? Should the subject be geared in order to create stakeholders for the industry? There were debatable academic as well as commonplace issues related to the philosophy of teaching and learning.

On gauging some of the declarations made at the summit, it could be envisaged that the outcome of such an event had given way to, in the first instance to tighten the links of all the universities, where the subject of communication is taught.

Secondly a society-based research oriented subject could be promoted, with resource people suited to the media operations at country at large. Furthermore an ongoing forum on the subject may create a better understanding to build up a healthier communication culture in the public sphere.

This wider understanding could provide correct perspectives, tool and training for national development.

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