MassCom Magazine

If the buzz is to be believed, the premier media training institution in Jamaica and indeed the Caribbean, CARIMAC is getting a run for its money from new kid on the block Northern Caribbean University (NCU).

It is debatable whether one programme is better than the other but student outcomes and consistent reports from media managers has made this a topic of much interest.

Among the major concerns expressed by some media managers is a deficit of technical expertise on the part of the University of the West Indies' CARIMAC students, whose programme has traditionally favored a strong emphasis on theory and in depth background courses.
 
This is in contrast to the students from NCU’s Communication Studies Department, who are reported to adjust much easier and seem more technically proficient.
 
So what is this winning formula that the NCU programme has apparently discovered?
 
According to head of the Communication studies Department at NCU Everett Wiles, the technical emphasis of the NCU programme is a major part of the training for media students.
 
"One of the things that we try to instill here, is that if you are going to be in a field, be a specialist be an artist in that area then you need to be able to know how to use your tools.   We try to get our students into particular situations that will force them to have a working knowledge of those areas." he said.
 
NCU’s methodology
This methodology may be the single most definitive aspect to the Mass Communication degree offered by the university. The Communication Studies programme falls in the vain of all other courses offered at the Seventh Day Adventist owned and operated institution, with a strong emphasis on multi disciplinary activity.
 
"NCU is a liberal arts degree granting institution that means a student who comes here and does mass communication courses are not the only courses that they are exposed to but they are exposed to history, music, religion, they are exposed to a wide cross section of courses that helps to make them into individuals. It molds them into being more rounded they can relate to almost any area in life" Mr. Wiles added.

CARIMAC’s methodology
Meanwhile director of CARIMAC, Dr. Marjan de Bruin, discloses that the UWI media and communication programme only involves about 35 to 40 % hands on training in the six areas of specialization.
 
"It is a very difficult dilemma for any communications institute because you don't want to have people who know how to press the button and don't know why they press it, so there is a level of analytical thinking. Training about the value of making judgments, so when you talk about journalism it is extremely important that you not only know what the technical skills are for certain stories." Dr de Bruin said
 
While the popular perception expresses a certain opinion about the student's ability to perform, the internship reports on CARIMAC students for Summer 2006 prove otherwise. The reports showed consistently high marks for students across all specializations with notably high scores in the area of tasks assigned.
 
 
Structure of degree programmes
 
Both institutions' media training programmes have many similarities.
 
On the face of it, the similarities are very basic, with both degrees offering specializations, internship training opportunities and some amount of hands on training, however this is where the UWI and NCU part company.
 
For instance the NCU degree programme is offered over 4 years as is all NCU degrees, whereas it takes 3 years to complete the degree in Mass Communications at UWI.
 
In addition, the CARIMAC degree in Mass Communication can be completed with specialization in one of six areas, Radio, Television, Print, New Media, Public Relations and Social Marketing. NCU's offering covers only 4 areas namely Radio, Television, Public Relations and Advertising but students have the opportunity to work on department run television and radio stations and student newspapers.
 
The internship programmes at both universities are also similar, placing students in media organizations during the summer of their penultimate school year.
 
While the NCU programme continues to grow, CARIMAC is in a process of metamorphosis as well, in keeping with changing times and the need to keep a pace with the new school of training.
 
One of the most telling signs of the impact of NCU's entry into

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