Biz journalism center started in South Africa

Rhodes University, in collaboration with the South African Reserve Bank, is setting up an African Economics Journalism Centre aimed at improving the quality of economics and business journalism in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent.

With funding of R5 million (Roughly equivalent to about $720,000 US dollars) and support from the Reserve Bank, the Centre will offer post-graduate training as well as conduct research into economics journalism. It will be situated within Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies in Grahamstown. The project will initially be headed by Robert Brand, the Pearson Chair of Economics Journalism at Rhodes University.

The Centre will also initiate research into the practice of economics journalism in Africa. This will help improve intellectual analysis of economics and business journalism, develop high levels of skill among media practitioners as well as work towards specific outcomes, such as an ethics code for African journalists.

Teaching resources will be drawn from Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies, other academic departments at Rhodes University, the South African Reserve Bank College, and the media industry. Curricula will be developed in consultation with the SARB and industry.

Read more here. This sounds similar to the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State.