SECTOR 4 4.7 Media professionals have access to training facilities offering formal qualification programmes as well as opportunities to upgrade skills. There are a few tertiary institutions that offer courses in the field of media. The University of Namibia (UNAM) offers a general Bachelor Degree in Media Studies, in which students have to specialise in Public Relations, Electronic Media or Print Media. UNAM further offers a general Masters of Arts Degree based on research. “...we are producing technically skilled people who are intellectually hollow.” The Polytechnic of Namibia offers a Bachelor of Journalism and Media Technology, whereby students can specialise in Broadcast and Print Journalism, Public Relations or Multimedia. The Polytechnic also offers an Honours Degree in Journalism and Communication Technology, for which a mini-thesis is a main requirement for graduation. The media school at the College of the Arts offers a Diploma in Television Production, Sound Production, Radio Production and New Media. These courses (maybe apart from that offered at Polytechnic) do not specifically train journalists, and after graduation in the first journalistic job, panellists asserted that, “you are fairly on your own”. Members of the panel expressed that, the one hand, “we are struggling with the command of language” and on the other hand “knowledge of contextualising what you are writing is missing”. The English language and lack of writing skills are a serious issue, and create a serious need for more practical on-the-job training and mentorship opportunities. On the other hand, it should also be encouraged that students with specialisations in other fields enter the profession - such as from political science, economics, history, or with a science background. Rather than focus on journalism alone, training should be more interdisciplinary to encourage students to develop interests and knowledge in certain fields. Otherwise, as was expressed, “we are producing technically skilled people who are intellectually hollow”. Media houses often complain about the quality of graduates but there is no systematic approach in addressing the gap between the theories learned and the skills required in practice. Considering that most media houses face the same issues, one panellist proposed, “we in the media sector were supposed to set up our own training all subsidising it, but things drag on for years”. 62 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2015