The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has set up a well- equipped Media Lab which will serve its students at the start of the 2019/2020 Academic year. The Department, through the Procurement Office, received the state of the art equipment worth Kshs five (5) million on 27th June, 2019.
The Senior Technician in the Department, Mr. Gabriel Bombo, said that the Media Lab will familiarize students with the equipment and enable training of students to be skilled, professional content producers and market– oriented journalists. He also added that there will be three (3) sessions daily taking a maximum of three (3) hours each and catering for at least twenty (20) students per session. He noted that an expansion plan was in place for recruitment of more personnel for maximum training and installation of a sound booth and lighting system in the Lab.
“99% of journalism graduates cannot mount a camera on the tripod. This is why we are shifting from knowledge based training to acquisition of skills such as video editing, photo editing, photography, film and videography. The Media Lab will serve all students regardless of their different specializations,” said Mr. Bombo.
Mr. Bombo said that the idea of setting up the Media Lab was conceptualized in 2017 and realized in June 2019 and that the University procured the best and latest equipment in the market. He thanked the University Management for its continued support even as plans are put in place for expansion phase of the Media Lab.
“In the next five years, we can have the best equipped media lab in the country,” he said.
Dr. Perez Wenje, the Chairperson of Department, said that the quality equipment in the Media Lab will enhance more practical aspects of the programmes offered. Speaking in his capacity as the Acting Dean, School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS), Dr.Wenje also said that the School’s strength has always been in print media and the radio station, which has produced reputable journalists in the country including Francis Ontomwa, Leila Mohammed among others.
