Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
01 October 2019
|
Story Prof Francis Petersen
|
Photo Pixabay
During October, the national focus is on mental health. Mental Health Awareness Month also coincides with a time when our students prepare for the end of the year exams, making it a particularly valuable time for us to think about how we can continuously assist them during their time at university. The value of peer support and genuine care can never be overstressed; that is why I want to encourage our students to reach out to their support networks such as our Department of Student Counselling and Development, as we move towards the end of the year.
Mental health is an equally important matter for our staff. During this month, I want to encourage our staff to also take cognisance of their own well-being. There is a lot of wisdom in the old adage: Healthy body, healthy mind. Many of the initiatives of our Division of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness are focused on the value of physical activity and the negative impact that inactivity can have on one’s productivity and mental health. They also present regular lunch-hour sessions for our staff, where experts share information and practical tips for mental wellness. I want to encourage our staff to attend these sessions and to make use of the services the university has to offer in this regard. It is important to note that suffering from mental and anxiety disorders is not weaknesses and it is not always indicative of a deeper psychological issue; it is an illness and hence can be treated.
On 20 September 2019, a 21-member team was sent off on their run of 1 075 km to Stellenbosch to raise awareness for mental health. The run was organised by the Division of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness and the Faculty of Health Sciences. The team ran in relay format throughout the night and handed the baton of hope to Stellenbosch University on 25 September 2019. I admire and thank them not only for their commitment and stamina, but also for addressing this crucial matter in the public domain and for raising awareness in the many towns and communities along the way.
This is an excerpt from a message by Prof Francis Petersen.
There’s more to media freedom than the Secrecy Bill
2012-05-04
4 May 2012
“Media freedom is a universal human right. It cannot be abolished, but it should be managed.” The freedom of the media is protected by numerous formal documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the South African Constitution, and is commemorated annually with the celebration of World Press Freedom Day.
“As long as those in power have something to hide, media freedom will be under threat. This is a war that takes place on many fronts,” says Ms Willemien Marais, a journalism lecturer at the Department of Communication Science at the University of the Free State (UFS).
“On the one hand we have to take a stand against institutional threats such as the proposed Protection of State Information Bill. This is diametrically opposed to everything that media freedom and freedom of expression encapsulates.
“But on the other hand we also need to educate and transform our society. It is not only up to journalists to defend media freedom. Newspaper reports on the public hearings on this Bill earlier this year proved that ignorance concerning media freedom is a big threat. The lack of resistance against the Secrecy Bill from the general population clearly illustrates that people aren’t aware of what they are about to lose.”
Ms Marais says the rise of social media and the accompanying awareness of individual freedom of expression have paved the way for more people to exercise this right. “The role of social media in the Arab Spring has been highlighted numerous times. The power of social media is undeniable – but alas, so is the lack of access to especially social media. We can only increase media literacy if we increase people’s access to the media – new and traditional.”
A high level of media literacy is also vital following last month’s recommendation by the Press Freedom Commission of a system of independent co-regulation for South Africa’s print media. This system proposes replacing government regulation with a panel consisting of representatives from the print industry as well as members of the general public. “It is abundantly clear that this system can only work if those members of the general public are media literate and understand the role of media freedom in protecting democracy.”
“The media is not a sentient being – it consists of and is run by people, and human beings are fallible. Protecting media freedom does not only mean fighting institutional threats. It also means increasing media literacy by educating people. And it means owning up to your mistakes, and correcting it.”