Universities of Zambia and Chile working together on Youth and Communication

It is my great pleasure to announce the incorporation of Professor Brendah Bukowa to the Network of Researchers on Youth and Communication (Rec-Juventud).

The goal of our network, is to generate an associative work of researchers from the University of Chile and other national and international research centers and institutions , in order to promote interdisciplinary collaborative work around the topics of Youth, Gender, Information Technologies and Communication. The creation of the network and its subsequent consolidation, is intended to build bridges of knowledge, allowing researchers to share, discuss and disseminate their work and advances in the field.

The participation of Professor Bukowa, will be of a great contribution and also will help to further internationalize and strengthen the network.

Thanks to the SUSI on Journalism and Media program from State Department of the United States, hosted by the University of Ohio at the Scripps School of Journalism, I could meet Brendah, know about her great work with children and have the chance to discuss ideas about potential collaborative work. Here we have the first result.

Welcome Professor Brendah Bukowa!

Lionel Brossi

Assistant Professor 

Instituto de la Comunicación e Imagen

University of Chile

lionelbrossi@gmail.com

Twitter: Lio_Brossi

“Harsh working conditions threaten Zambia-China ties”

By Matthew Pentz

Edited and Produced by Taylor Pool

Zambia Flag

Zambia’s close relationship with China dates back to the early 1970s. The African nation had been cut off from Western investment as punishment for supporting independence movements elsewhere on the continent, and China had stepped in with the funds it needed to survive. The cracks in their friendship, however, are beginning to show as accusations of financial exploitation have been gathering momentum.

China Flag

Chinese investment has allowed Zambia to bolster its infrastructure and brought much needed stability to its economy, but the Asian superpower has been ruthless in its pursuit of higher profits. 

In late 2010, Chinese mine managers shot 13 Zambian workers who were protesting for better wages. The workers had been receiving less than $4 per day, and even that was cut during a coal surplus. Zambian prosecutors later dropped the case against the managers, further fuelling public discontent. Tales of poor working conditions and low pay are also rampant.

“They are interested in investing in Zambia to exploit the resources,” said a Zambian journalist in the Copperbelt region who asked not to be named because of the level of power that Chinese mine owners have in the area. 

“They are more involved in exploiting copper than any other mineral. … The Chinese are pushing hard to get the major concessions in other areas where they can mine the metal.”

The issue becomes current

The issue was turned into a political tool in recent elections. Presidential candidate Michael Sata and his party, the Patriot Front, were hugely critical of what they saw as an unfair balance of power between China and Zambia. Though Sata in the PF lost a contentious election in 2006, their popular message carried them to power in 2010.

“During the run-up to the elections, the political party had made certain promises,” said Kenny Makungu, a senior lecturer at the University of Zambia. “But the claims that they were giving, for me, were a bit unrealistic, but that’s politicking.

“That was just pure politicking.”

For all of the promises, little has changed on the ground since the election. Once in power, President Sata sent delegates to China to ensure them that relations will remain smooth. Further, the administration recently demoted Chisimba Kabwili from the Ministry of Labor after he was involved in a confrontation with a Chinese investor, according to Martin Kapende of the Zambia Daily Mail.

After early attempts to engage the Chinese in discussions about reform were quickly rebuffed, the government seems to have adjusted its initial outlook.

“What the PF and the others expected (at first) was that the Chinese investors, like any other investors, would adequately pay their workers,” the journalist from the Copperbelt said. “They were also expected to address issues of safety in their operations, which were very low.”

There are more practical reasons for the lack of major policy change, as well. Another one of the PF’s major campaign promises was to create employment, but that only comes from foreign investment. Cracking down on the Chinese may improve working conditions, but the resulting blow to the economy could be crippling.

“(Foreign investment is) very, very, very important,” Makungu said. “We don’t have the means to invest into the development of our natural resources, especially in regards to mining and so on. Even with commercial agriculture, we need people to come in and pump in funds. Even with tourism development, we have a lot of potential, but don’t have enough resources to fuel development.”

Chinese look for alternatives


A possible alternative is to look to the West for investment, helping to diversify the economy and eliminate some of the reliance on the Chinese. 

“This is a very important component of our overall framework of economic development, especially with the advent of globalization,” Inonge Limbambala, the First Secretary (Trade) at Zambia’s United States embassy, said in an email. 

“One of the avenues we are undertaking is that of public-private partnerships, where we encourage the collaboration between the Government and the private sector, both local and foreign.”

The United States, in particular, is a strong candidate for a secondary trading partner, as it is has shown through investment in alternative sectors. While the U.S may not have the same level of interest as China in natural resources, it has invested very heavily in social areas, focusing on issues like better health care provision and the fight against HIV and AIDS. 

Sata still carries the popular support of the Zambian people, and there are few pressing him for immediate change. It is a hold-over from the optimism from his election victory, when thousands poured into the streets in celebration. His administration has made progress in other sectors that have been well received, including upgrades in the quality of roads and the availability of the internet.

Undercurrents of dissent are there, however, particularly within the trade unions.

“The cry is still there because people are not satisfied with what they’re getting from the mines,” the journalist from the Copperbelt said. “That dissatisfaction will continue for as long as that issue is not resolved. The crying will be there. People will be pushing for increased salaries and better working environment. It appears that the investors themselves are doing little to invest in their workers.”

Without any indication of change, relations between China and the Zambian people, if not the government, may soon reach a breaking point. It is a relationship that many on the continent will be watching closely. 

If even Zambia, one of the most prosperous nations in the region, cannot stand up and fight for credible change, it sends a powerful message to the rest of China’s business partners in Africa.

Zambia triumphs near site of greatest tragedy

By Matthew Pentz
Copy edited and produced by Taylor Pool

Nearly two decades ago, the tiny African nation of Gabon was the site of the darkest chapter in Zambian soccer history.

The finest team that Zambia had ever produced boarded a plane in the capital city of Libreville en route to a 1994 World Cup qualifier. The plane took off before plunging into the sea, killing everyone on board and robbing a nation of its heroes.

Photo taken from http://www.zambianfootball.net
/2009/04/28/blog-zambias-greatest-team

The current national team is hoping Gabon will play another role in the minds of their countrymen: the site of the greatest soccer triumph in Zambian history.

After rolling through the group stages tops in Group A, the Zambia Copper Bullets comfortably defeated Sudan 3-0 in the quarterfinals and bounced tournament favorite Ghana 1-0 in the semis. The upset win earned Zambia a spot in the finals against the Ivory Coast, to be played in Libreville.

“When we go to Gabon and play in the final … it will be something special for the country and for us,” midfielder Isaac Chansa said. “It will be a very emotional game. So far, God has been with us during the games we have been playing.”

Zambians reflect on the past
Until now, the names Gabon and Libreville meant nothing but painful memories.

“Just the mention of the country Gabon for many people, (it is) that tragedy that comes to mind, nothing else,” says Zambia Daily Mail editor Nebat Mbele.

For Mbele, the plane crash hit harder than most. He had become close with the team as a young sports reporter with the Daily Mail. He remembers vividly the sorrow of his nation.

“The reaction in Zambia then was a lot of shock,” he said. “Not a lot of people wanted to believe that it had happened because it was personal, more than football. When it first happened, people were praying hard that there were survivors on the plane.

“When it trickled through that everyone on board had died, there was a collective (sadness) throughout the whole country – all sectors of society, politicians and people in the villages and so on.”
Current soccer federation president Kalusha Bwalya was one of the lucky ones. He was a star striker on squad in 1993, but was playing club soccer in the Netherlands and avoided the fatal trip.

The success of the current Zambian team is a natural extension of the mission of his former teammates.

“We are proud of the history that the boys left before the air disaster,” Bwalya said. “When you talk to the people on the street, they remember a lot of good things that the boys did, which is great.

“We have a history that we cannot run away from and can’t avoid.”

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the soccer team was a source of hope, against all odds. A replacement team, led by Bwalya, came within a game of qualifying for the World Cup and reached the final of the 1994 African Cup of Nations before falling to Nigeria.

The long-term fallout from the disaster left the nation and the soccer program struggling. Copper prices – the main staple of the Zambian economy – plummeted, leading to disillusionment with the government and wide-ranging poverty. The national team couldn’t reach the highs of the early ‘90s without their golden generation.

The nation and its team is in recovery
Things are changing in Zambia for the better. A new president, Michael Sata, came to power last year, bringing with him promises for a brighter future.

“The combination of the changing of government, the economy looking positive and the team, it makes the people very happy. It is boosting their identity,” Hikabwa Chipande, a leading sport historian in Zambia currently doing his PhD at Michigan State University in the United States, said.

Things are looking up for the national team as well, as evidenced by Zambia’s first berth in a Cup of Nations final since the Bwalya-led replacement team’s miracle run almost two decades ago.

Captain Christopher Katongo and striker Emmanuel Mayuka are both tied for the tournament’s goal scoring lead with three each, and their attacking threat has added potency to a team high in unity but lacking in international stars.

The success has drawn a flattering comparison from a high source.

“We have given tribute to the class of 1993,” Bwalya said, “I’m absolutely certain that the boys are not far from the form that the 1993 players used to play. It’s wonderful for us to be able to come back and try to bring the memories of the 1993 team back on the field.”

Back in Zambia, a nation for whom soccer has always meant more than most, the victories have inspired the people.

“Every time we win, there are wild celebrations all over the country,” Benedict Tembo, a deputy production editor at the Daily Mail, said.

Photo taken from http://www.zambianfootball.net/
2009/04/28/blog-zambias-greatest-team/

“With football, it inspires a nation. After a victory like that, people forget the problems they have. They forget about their trials and tribulations and just celebrate.”

After the win against Ghana, Zambia has the look of a team of destiny. The Black Stars and their impressive cast of European-based players dominated much of the game, but failed to turn their chances into goals. Mayuka made them pay with a curling shot from the edge of the area, and now all that stands between the Zambians and their first title is an Ivory Coast team also stocked with international superstars.

For Bwayla, it means a dream final near the place of his greatest nightmare.

“Some of us will be more emotional about it than other people, but the Zambian people have been waiting. They look forward to that day,” he said, “It will be a great day for Zambia.”

Achieving Effective Public Relations, without New Media

By Lauren Nolan

Lusaka, Zambia

New Media signifies on-demand access to content on a variety of digital devices. New Media is interactive. Professor Kenny Makungu, a senior lecturer in the department of mass communication at The University of Zambia, defines new media as “a concept that encompasses the coming together of traditional media with the interactive power of computer and communications technology and computer-enabled consumer devices.”

Challenges of New Media in Zambia

As an Ohio University student studying journalism and public relations I have worked on multiple campaigns for clients such as the Miss Universe Organization, Cardinal Health, College Book Store, and Soul of Athens, to name a few. The clients and organizations I have worked with rely heavily on the use of ‘New Media’ to inform and engage their audiences. Understanding and utilizing New Media in public relations tactics is continually emphasized in academic classrooms, student organizations, and internship attachments. I have witnessed how valuable New Media, specifically social media, media entertainment, and networking sites including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, can be as a means to developing rich connections with the publics. While interning at the Miss Universe Organization I worked to develop content for a mobile messaging campaign, wrote speaking points used for tweets, managed online communities, and monitored social media outreach. At Ohio University, working in campus relations for Cardinal Health, a client of the student-run PR firm, ImPRessions, our team constantly uses Twitter to encourage live chats, spreading awareness of our Generation Rx campaign, and Facebook to gain attention for campus events.

Interning at GOMAN Advertising Ltd., an advertising firm in Lusaka, Zambia, posed new questions for me: are U.S. citizens too reliant on New Media as an effective public relations tactic? And, is the art of traditional media relations and community outreach fading? During my time at GOMAN I was assigned to create a public relations plan for Bonnita. Bonnita long life full cream milk is a product by Parmalat, Zambia’s largest producer and processor of milk and dairy products. I was excited to work on a PR plan for this product, however, reaching the intended audiences greatly limited my options for effective outreach. The product, released in Zambia in November 2011, is specifically crafted for Zambians with very low incomes. Milk is somewhat of a luxury product for Zambians, many cannot afford milk or do not have refrigerators to store milk and dairy products. Bonnita allows for impoverished Zambians to have access to quality, nutrient rich milk to feed their families, while keeping money in their pockets. Because it is long-life milk it can be stored at room temperature for up to three months from the date of production without getting spoilt.

Gaining Awareness without New Media

In order to spread awareness of Bonnita, I was assigned to develop innovative public relations tactics. If this product was for citizens in the United States, social media would be useful to help with community outreach. Just take a look at the well-established "Got Milk?" campaign Facebook page, with more than 58,000 "likes." Even those in the lowest income brackets in the United States still have some access to New Media. However, reaching those publics in Zambia requires a lot more thought. Ideas of using New Media can be thrown out completely. Due to lack of Internet infrastructure in Zambia, very few people access the Internet. Furthermore, the cost of Internet access is high. Internet connection is seen as a luxury. Social networking statistics show that Facebook penetration in Zambia is 1.35 percent of the country’s total population, and 19.89 percent among Internet users in Zambia.

A village, without any access to New Media, and only minimal access to electricity, that the awareness and consumption of Bonnita would be beneficial.

Inside one of the homes in the village. This home has no electricity, no running water, and certainly no access to New Media.

The lack of New Media in Zambia challenged me to focus and develop some “old school” tactics to reach out to the desired publics, effectively communicating the benefits Bonnita can provide to them. While developing a proposal for the product I gained a deeper understanding of effective public relations without relying on New Media, and the challenges of working in international media systems. After multiple brainstorming sessions, researching Zambian media outlets and consumption patterns, I was able to successfully develop enough tactics for a meaningful PR plan to present to Parmalat, on behalf on GOMAN.

Reviving Public Relations Fundamentals

Instead of relying on Facebook fan pages or a Twitter handle for Parmalat or Bonnita, I focused my plan on traditional print media, radio broadcasts, securing interview placements, and guerilla marketing. Painting advertisements on buildings, a common practice in Zambia, and Parmalat containers in compounds placed in the rural villages the product is made to serve, distributing handbills, and setting up interviews for Parmalat spokes persons at rural radio and news stations around Zambia, were just a few of the tactics outlined in the PR plan presented to Parmalat.

My internship in Zambia reminded me of the fundamental proponents of public relations and strategic communication. Media relations and community outreach is not going any where. Public relation practitioners in the U.S. should be conscious not to rely too heavily on New Media. The public relations industry should always keep in mind the importance of developing and maintaining meaningful relationships, with journalists, who pick up pitches, clients, whose products are worthy of our time to advocate for, and their publics, whom are the consumers of information and interpreters of messages. New Media is a great tool, but not one that should be so heavily relied on by public relations practitioners.

At GOMAN Advertising Ltd., with my work colleagues.

Andre and Capalo hard at work creating promotional materials for Parmalat in the studio at GOMAN.

Andre, a graphic designer at GOMAN, and I, inside the studio where all the advertisements and PR materials are produced.

Lauren Nolan is one of 18 students from Ohio University, studying abroad in Zambia over winter intercession, about media, society, and governance, through the Institute for International Journalism.

A step back in time

By Lindsay Boyle

In Lusaka, Zambia

For some U.S. citizens, some aspects of Zambian culture and development may seem immature, inappropriate or simply ignorant.

Zambia ~50 years post-independence

Though the United States is far from a global leader in education, Zambia is even worse than the U.S.; only 1.5 percent of their GDP is put toward education, according to The World Factbook, While the average American will attend public schooling for about 16 years and complete high school, the average Zambian is likely to go to school for just 7 years, receiving only an elementary level education.

At some “schools,” such as Shampande Middle Basic School, classrooms consist of nothing more than makeshift chairs composed of piles of bricks scattered under a tree that some children have to walk 10 to 15 miles (16.5 to 25 km) to get to*.

The disparity between the developed and undeveloped areas of Zambia is huge. In the heart of Lusaka, there is electricity, running water, limited Internet access, modern architecture and relatively better road infrastructure than the rural areas. Just on the outskirts of Lusaka as well as in more rural areas, however, little or none of the aforementioned basic infrastructure exists.

Ideology-wise, many Zambians are nowhere near accepting homosexuality and the like as acceptable lifestyles. In some areas, women are still considered lesser than men and are responsible for nearly all “household chores.” In Zambia, that term does not refer to simple cleaning and cooking, but also hard labor tasks such as food and water gathering, which often require spending many hours and traveling many miles.

Some U.S. citizens have expressed a desire to change the way countries in Africa, including Zambia, think about and approach the world, as though they are hopelessly wrong and behind the times.

Honestly, visiting Zambia is like taking a step back in time—the country just gained independence in 1964.

American ~50 years post-independence

Imagine the U.S. only 47 years after it gained independence, in the 1820s. Infrastructure was poor—Native American trails used where roads were not yet existent, plus canals and railroads were just being built.

Technology was not yet very advanced. Inventions such as telescopes, railroads (with horse-drawn cars), and typewriters did not exist until the end of the decade.

In the early 1820s, people in the U.S. were still feeling the effects of the Panic of 1819, a depression that occurred after the economic boom that followed the War of 1812 ended. The U.S. economy was based primarily on agriculture, and thus many people were merely poor farmers.

Society was dominated by white males—women weren’t able to vote or own property and were expected to focus on raising children and performing chores. African Americans (and sometimes other minorities) were condemned to slavery and unequal treatment in many aspects of life. Homosexuality was not considered an acceptable practice.

Even in the U.S., there was a time when the ways of life and thinking were much different than they are now. Becoming an industrialized egalitarian country is a process that takes time. Many critical developments in ideology, technology and infrastructure—including labor laws, methods of communication and inventions—did not occur until the early 1900s, more than one hundred years after gaining independence.

Before U.S. citizens try to tell Zambians the correct things to believe and ways to act, they should take note that post-independence Zambia is so far without any major political and ethno-political conflicts—an attribute the U.S. cannot claim.

Moving forward

It may seem slightly difficult to compare Zambia and the U.S. since they reached independence in different ways. However, they are similar in that they both broke away from colonial rule and were left with a lot of land to develop and opportunity for technological and ideological improvements.

It is apparent that technology, for example, is beginning to ease its way into the Zambian culture, especially in places such as Lusaka. It is already more Westernized than myself and many of my colleagues expected it to be and is likely to continue developing further. With technological improvement, better infrastructure and ideological open-mindedness usually follow.

Although some U.S. citizens would like to come from a point of further development and deliver some kind of revelation to Zambians, they need to realize that things do not work that way. For a truly flourished nation, Zambians will have to grow and learn at their own pace.

Even the U.S. is not yet an ideal nation. U.S. citizens have made their fair share of mistakes along the way and are still learning not to discriminate based on race, gender, orientation, socioeconomic status, religion and other characteristics.

Some people and nations relentlessly strive to develop and to become free from donor-dependency. Yes, there are still nations that seem to be underdeveloped in comparison to the U.S., but given time, some of them will get there.

*An organization called Fountain of Life donated 100 desks to Shampande after hearing of its condition, but other schools in similar situations have not been as fortunate.

Lindsay Boyle is one of 18 students from Ohio University, studying abroad in Zambia over winter intercession, about media, society, and governance, through the Institute for International Journalism.

She is a junior online journalism major with a minor in psychology.

Government-owned Media: The Zambia Daily Mail

By Brenda Evans

In Lusaka, Zambia

I am by no means a weathered journalist nor do I claim to know all the answers, I am still a student. I did not know what to expect when I came to intern at a government-owned paper in Zambia. The concept of a government-owned media was foreign to me, especially in a nation that claims to be democratic. Would they be showing me the ropes, or I teaching them? There were so many doubts that I had of what role I would play at a government-owned paper.  

Quality Control

Daily Mail newsroom

From my experience at TheZambia Daily Mail and what I have heard from The Times of Zambia, the quality of journalism within the government-owned media reflects the conditions in which they conduct business. The internet is unreliable, the pay is unfavorable, the news meetings are held at no particular time, and the energy level is very low. I have not worked in a newsroom in the United States yet, but from what I know they do not typically follow those traits. That is not to say that in order to produce a quality paper they must follow our guidelines, but they need to find a way to produce clean, efficient reports to their readers. The problems they face can be simply attributed to their lack of resources. These papers do not have the funds to acquire either top writers or materials desired for a fully functioning newsroom.

Jagged layout

Although I never received a straight answer of where their funding comes from, it is fair to assume that because Daily Mail is a government paper, it has a smaller readership, therefore receiving less revenue. Whether this affects the quality of the paper or vice versa, I am not sure. But I know that there are talented journalists in Zambia that could make the government-owned media far superior to what it currently is. The issue comes back to funding because the skilled reporters move on to work for organizations with better pay rates. This lack of quality control leads to both poor editorial and design decisions. There are plenty of positive things that Daily Mail does, but layout is definitely not one of them.

Unintentional Bias

The lack of energy and enthusiasm shows in the reporters’ stories. There is little drive to compete for readership with other papers and because stories are fed to reporters by government outlets they do not have to dig very deep. This shows in the news meetings, but also out in the field where they ask government officials safe questions and seem to know what they want to be asked. On an assignment with a reporter, the minister of health thanked the reporter I was with for helping out at his inauguration. This type of political involvement with officials would never result in a reporter covering any topic, which that official is involved. This creates a conflict of interest, but that issue does not raise red flags at a government-owned paper. These media outlets are practicing shallow journalism that borders on the line of public relations, which the Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) does not shy away from admitting.  

Competitors Advantage

The Post's design desk

This does not seem to be the case at all media outlets. Our visit to the independent and most popular paper, ThePost, blew my mind after working with TheDaily Mail for three weeks. They had new Macs, clean, modern offices, a very large property, and the staff is the highest paid in the industry. While I clearly saw the disparities in the quality of the products between independent and government media, the stories they covered hardly varied in content. Maybe I have just been in Zambia during Sata’s honeymoon phase and the independent media does not have much to criticize yet, or things really have loosened up with press freedom. It is too early to tell, but many people at the Daily Mail seemed hopeful. Not everyone who works there is a government puppet or uneducated and hopefully those who are will eventually diminish. But there needs to be an incentive to draw the talent in and make the government owned papers more competitive and less concerned with chewing up and spitting out every story the government hands them.

Brenda Evans is one of 18 students from Ohio University, who studied abroad in Zambia over winter intercession through the Institute for International Journalism.

She is a senior online journalism major with a certificate in Environmental Studies and a specialization in political science and geography.

Pursuit of Higher Education: Illusion of Equal Opportunity

By Lauren Nolan

in Lusaka, Zambia

The college search process is an almost ascertain part of many American students lives as they near the end of their secondary educations. University of California Santa Barbara, Indiana University, University of Tennessee, University of South Florida, Miami University, Ohio University. I visited five different states, thousands of miles apart, over the time-span of a few months, all in the search for a university that would be just the right “fit” for me. Four years and some odd months later, I still remember the college search processclearly. There was a lot of travel, a number of campus tours, meetings with department heads, and speaking to current students about their experiences. I was excited for what my future had in store, and not once did it cross my mind that I would do something after high school other than attend a university.

I feel the expectation to achieve post-secondary educa tion, whether at a four-year university, community college, or vocational school, is fantastically engrained in the culture of the United States. Not only do I believe that many U.S. students take these opportunities for higher education for granted, they fail to seize their education, instead merely sailing through their academic careers. Students in the U.S. also fail to acknowledge that the opportunities for higher education are unequal, domestically and abroad. There is an illusion of equal opportunity.

Furthermore, some students in the U.S. simply attend universities as a result of pressure and expectations from parents, guidance counselors, or peers. A number of freshman students across the country enroll as “undecided” in their major area of study. Even students who do enroll with a selected major will often change it at some point during their undergraduate careers. None of the university students I spoke with in Zambia enrolled as an undecided major, and from what I see, that is the norm.

Attending university in Africa is a major feat, and one that, as far as I can tell, is not undertaken lightly. The students I have spoken with in Lusaka enrolled at The University of Zambia (UNZA) with clear goals. Zambian students take their education seriously, they found the thought of skipping a class outlandish. I find this amusing as I think back to some of my larger lecture classes early on in my college career, where most days I was easily able to find a seat any place I wished, but, when exam day rolled around suddenly the room was jam-packed with students.

UNZA students and Ohio University students mix and mingle while walking to class.

Less schools, less opportunity

Zambia is relative to the size of Texas. While Texas has a complex education system made up of more than 77 universities, Zambia has only about nine universities. Texas has a much larger population than Zambia, about 11 million more people. However, even Illinois, which has about the same size population, at around 12.4 million, has more than 75 universities. To even have the opportunity to attend a university in Zambia is prestigious and a notable accomplishment, as the lack of educational establishments results in a lack of opportunity for attendance.

I find myself highly impressed with the motivation and commitment of the students I met at UNZA. Not to say I am not as equally impressed with some students in the states and at my home university. However, the UNZA students seem fully aware of the fortune of their opportunity for higher education in a country where the school life expectancy is 7 years for females and 8 for males, while U.S. students seemingly take it for granted. I think that level of awareness and appreciation drives them to be successful, motivates them to not skip classes, and learn as much they can, while they can. Many U.S. students don’t bat an eye at the thought of skipping a class, especially if they feel they either don’t need it for the career fields they hope to enter or believe they can successfully pass the course without attending. I think this is a huge mistake on the part of American students. We should all learn from the Zambian students, and try to take away as much as we can from the opportunities we are presented. Therefore, the next time you think about skipping that economics class because you’re majoring in journalism and you “don’t need it,” consider the fact that many people in the world don’t even have the opportunities for such intellectual growth. Advance your knowledge and understanding in any subject area you can, and appreciate the fact that you have the opportunities at all.

I am currently a student at The University of Zambia, attending seminars in Lusaka as a part of an annual journalism study abroad program put on through cooperation with UNZA, Ohio University, The Institute for International Journalism, and the Ohio University Office of Education Abroad.

Brenda Evans, another Ohio University student, and I, on our first day of class at UNZA.

UNZA students sit outside to enjoy the weather between classes.

Another OU colleague, Tom Ginley, and I in front of The University of Zambia campus map.

Communication breakdown: Zambia

By Heather Farr

One of the principles constantly ingrained into public relations majors at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism is know your audience. If a practitioner fails to listen to the wants, needs and interests of the target audience, he or she might as well pick a communications campaign out of a hat. Every day, people get thousands of messages and ideas thrown at them and the only ones that have a chance at creating an attitude or behavior change are the ones that relate to and reach the audience.

A different kind of restriction

This simple PR idea came full circle the moment I stepped into the advertising agency at which I am interning in Zambia. Many media outlets in Zambia are government owned and even those that are not are still affected by politics. This made me wonder: are strategic communications messages dictated by government agendas or rules? A casual conversation with an employee turned into a journalistic investigation when I asked him whether he felt the impact of the government in his work. He said no, but then explained a situation very different from any I have ever experienced in the U.S.

According to the aforementioned employee, the majority of the Zambian public is functionally literate. Even a poor man on the street can watch an American movie in English and recite it back to you or quote it, he said. Yet, many companies want professional communicators to “dumb down” ideas, restricting the flow of creativity that many professionals in the United States unconsciously enjoy. While ad and PR agencies in the United States are constantly trying to push the envelope and take the audience to the next level, the ad professionals in Zambia may be forced to muzzle their ideas at the request of the client.

Context is key

PR practitioners need to recognize not only the audience when spreading a message, but also the environment and circumstances when deciding what communications methods to use. An American professional might approach a problem in the U.S. with the trending solution of social media, but that solution may not apply to a similar problem in Africa.

“People think we are behind because we aren’t utilizing social media. That is great if it works in the States, but we just aren’t at that point yet,” the same employee said.

Utilizing tactics such as social media would not be effective for many Zambian companies because citizens are not utilizing online social networks at the rate of American citizens. According to the Zambian ad professional, Zambian society is where the United States was three or four years ago in regard to online communications, and that’s okay. The country is progressing at its own rate and does not need to “catch up” to be successful because the networks simply aren’t relevant at this point in time.

Through the eyes of a Zambian

Ethnocentrism sometimes causes foreigners to apply alien practices that simply may not work given the context and environment of another country. For me, this point was cemented with our first project as interns at the Zamban ad agency. Our task was to come up with the outline of a campaign to reduce maternal mortality rates in Zambia by stressing the importance of professional medical care before, during and after a birth. It wasn’t until speaking with a Zambian member of the agency that we realized many problems existed here that we wouldn’t deal with in the United States, such as:

· Many families live in rural areas and don’t have instant access to effective healthcare facilities

· Unlike in the United States, visiting a doctor before, during and after the birth of a child is not understood as typical. In fact, it is custom to give birth at home

· Other traditions, such as having the grandmother present during birth, exist that would keep a woman from leaving the home to give birth

· Women who have children out of wedlock are often ashamed and therefore have their children at home.

Thus far, this experience has made me to realize the importance of audience research, regardless of what or where the campaign. Even the most creative ideas can fall flat if the audience is uninterested or able to get to/understand the message.

Summer in December: Education with Adventure

By Morgan Sigrist

Institute for Int’l Journalism

Winter intersession is drawing near and the cold days and icy roads are almost upon us. But 18 Ohio University students from three schools in the Scripps College of Communication have a Plan B this winter intersession. They are preparing for their trip to Zambia, Southern Africa. They will escape the wintry blizzards, below freezing wind gusts, and the daily shoveling of 2-feet of snow, to enjoy some amazing African summer flora and fauna, outdoor swimming, and hiking in the jungles. Participants will depart for Zambia on November 25, a day after Thanksgiving and return on December 22, 2011.

The program administered by the Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism in coordination with the University of Zambia’s Department of Mass Communication in the capital, Lusaka. Two professors who were part of the SUSI Journalism and Media program in 2010 and 2011 are assisting with the preparations and eventual administration of this year’s program. SUSI is a U.S. Department of State funded grant-project, a scholars' program sponsored through the Study of the U.S. Branch. Students will spend 24 days immersed in Zambian media, government, culture, wildlife, and service projects.

Students nominated for this competitive annual journalism study abroad program to Africa are: Lindsay Boyle (online journalism), Brenda Evans (online journalism) Heather Farr (public relations), Lauren Nolan (public relations), Bethany Scott (public relations), Danielle Parker (public relations), Sara M. Rice (public relations), Molly Nocheck (broadcast), Bradley Parks (broadcast), Jenna Miller (broadcast), Amber Skorpenske (broadcast), Adam C. Flango (magazine), Brooke Bunce (magazine), Tyler O. Deal (magazine), Rebecca Koch (advertising), Sarah DuBois (communication studies), Chelsea A. Molder (communication studies) and Alisha Estabrook (visual communication).

Participants will “experience the complexity of the economic and political environment in the news media (TV, Radio, and Magazine), advertising or marketing firms, PR organizations and non-for-profit sector.” Danielle Parker, a junior and PR Journalism student was asked how she is preparing for the trip, “My faith is a really big part of my life... A lot of prayer and meditation and journaling to make sure that I am mentally prepared to be so far away from home.” She is academically preparing for the trip this fall by taking a course titled, International Studies 113 at Ohio University, learning about Africa from a Zambian teacher.

Dr. Yusuf Kalyango, the program director for the Zambia program and IIJ director, is conducting weekly orientation sessions on Fridays at 10:30 a.m., to prepare participants for the African adventure.