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23 June 2023
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Story Naledi Filita
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Photo Supplied
Naledi Filita is an nGAP Lecturer in the Department of Languages in Education.
The University of the Free State (UFS) is celebrating Youth Month by showcasing the positive influence of the institution on career development. As part of this initiative, we are sharing the stories of UFS alumni who are now working at the university.
Naledi Filita, nGAP Lecturer in the Department of Languages in Education, shares her UFS journey:
Q: Year of graduation from the UFS:
A: 2016, 2018, and 2021.
Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS:
A: Bachelor of Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Curriculum Studies), and Master of Education (Curriculum Studies).
Q: Date of joining the UFS as a staff member:
A: 2021.
Q: Initial job title and current job title:
A: Lecturer.
Q: How did the UFS prepare you for the professional world?
A: I started my career as a teacher in 2015 and was later appointed to my current job. The UFS has equipped me with the knowledge and skills that enabled me to be competent in my field in various contexts. My journey as a UFS student equipped me with crucial skills, such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and organisational skills.
Q: What are your thoughts on transitioning from a UFS alumnus to a staff member?
A: It has been a wonderful experience so far. I was once a student teacher at this university. Due to my experiences, being able to instil knowledge and skills in student teachers is something that I am passionate about. I am grateful for the developmental opportunities and support that I receive as a young researcher.
Photo manipulation in journalism: evil, crutch or lifebuoy?
2017-09-04
Albe Grobbelaar, veteran journalist and lecturer in the
Department of Communication Science at the UFS.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin
Since the 1800s the manipulation of photographs has been common practice, and who can forget the OJ Simpson Time magazine cover in 1994? Albe Grobbelaar, lecturer in the Department of Communication Science at the University of the Free State (UFS), asked in a special lecture on 18 August 2017 whether “Photo manipulation in Journalism” was an evil habit, a crutch or a lifebuoy.
“As a journalist I have always been interested in photography. And the principle of photo manipulation or tampering with photos, as we call it, is something that has interested me ever since,” Grobbelaar said. Photo manipulation is an area that has garnered many academic interest and is not a new trend but a practice that started in the 1830s when photos came into popular use. “It is not always done with ulterior motives, artists played with photographs to get unique effects.” Photo manipulation is not only to create fake news, but is sometimes used to convey novelty and create shock to news readers.
Different viewpoints for different circumstances
He talked about the spectrum of viewpoints on photo manipulation. Some conservative journalism schools say photos should never be retouched while other feel it is fine to tamper with pictures. “What I tried to convey in the lecture was that one should consider different circumstances differently,” Grobbelaar said. As a journalist he believes that news photos should never be manipulated.
He mentioned the example of the mugshot of OJ Simpson that the Los Angeles Police Department released to the media. “Newsweek and Time both used the photo on their front pages, but Time deliberately darkened the picture so that OJ, a black man, would appear more sinister,” Grobbelaar said. It is, however, common practice in the fashion industry to retouch images that are used in fashion magazines.
Use own judgment to validate photos
In the age of social media it has become easy to manipulate photos and which has been labelled fake news. “I would advise people to use their own judgment when validating the authenticity of photos,” Grobbelaar said. It is important to verify whether they are from a reliable news outlet.