Perception and Performance of Communication Arts Students towards News Writing Courses in University of Uyo, Nigeria

Abstract

News writing Courses have always been a constant menu in the curricula of Communication Courses in most universities both locally and internationally. However, what is not clear and decisive is whether over the years the teaching method of News writing courses has reflected the increasing technological shift in journalism training.  This study therefore attempts to look at the students' perception of the news writing courses, with a view to peep into their minds and dig out what is considered to be the challenges in performances of news writing courses among communication arts students of the University of Uyo. Using the theory of Social Learning as the theoretical framework of the study.  The study adopted the survey method to obtain to responses from sixty students from the department of Communication Arts through a questionnaire and interview method while data was analyzed using simple percentages. The study found out that even though the students admitted to the necessity of news writing courses as pertinent to their survival in the communication industry, that poor writing skills and poor teaching method accounts for poor performances in news writing courses. Secondly, that the curriculum of news writing courses should be reviewed to accommodate the innovation of present-day technologies especially with the fast pace of the information technology. The study recommends that the National Universities Commission (NUC) must review the writing courses curricula to reflect the present-day virtual realities and The "New Media” application in news writing courses. Also, that teachers of news writing courses should develop new and better template for teaching news writing that will involve the following: modeling and writing workshops to enable students perform better in their learning experiences.