Influence of Formal Journalism Education on Journalists Professional Practice in Enugu State

Abstract

This study was set to examine the role of formal journalism education on journalist’s professional practice in Enugu state. The population for the study is the entire registered journalists practicing in Enugu. Multi-stage sampling procedure which involved cluster and simple random sampling techniques was used to draw a sample size of 137 journalists from the population of 210 registered journalists in Enugu state. Survey methodology was adopted for the study, while two theories were found relevant for the study. They are: social responsibility theory and development media theory. The study found that majority of journalists practicing in Enugu state do not have a degree in Journalism/ Mass Communication but have in other disciplines. Many of them hold a degree in English language. The study also made a shocking finding that some people practice journalism as SSCE or OND holders. This could account for low level of professionalism recorded in the practice. The study recommends among others that: The Nigerian union of journalists should review the criteria for deciding who is qualified to practice journalism. The basic requirement should include possessing a degree in Mass Communication/ Journalism. Beyond possessing a degree in mass communication, fresh graduates should gain from the experience of others by undergoing internship programs before being certified to practice journalism as a first step towards attaining professionalism in the field.