Journalism and Print Technology

Dr. Itieke-Idamieba Harry

The Current Head of Department

Journalism and Print Technology

As part of its effort aimed at reforming and reinvigorating the university system in Nigeria, the National Universities Commission (NUC) in May, 2019 formally pronounced the unbundling of the mass communication programme in Nigerian universities.

Some of the programmes/Departments going by the NUC template after the unbundling include but not limited to the following: Journalism and media studies, public relations, advertising, broadcasting, film and multimedia studies, development communication and information and media studies.

The Rivers State University, drawing form the vision of the NUC in its stride for excellence and creativity formally approved in February 2022 the establishment of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies which houses four new Departments including the Department of Public Relations and Advertising.

The Department of Public Relations and Advertising offers a rigorous and demanding but worthwhile and rewarding four-year degree programme leading to the award of BSc Degree in Public Relations and Advertising. The programme is designed to provide both academic and professional base from which graduates may continue their personal academic and professional development as they assume managerial responsibilities in either public or private sectors of the society. The Department seeks to develop deeper knowledge of Public Relations and Advertising where the discipline is pursued with effective articulation of ideas aimed at impacting on the society.

Profile Of The Head of Department

Dr Nduka Nicholas Nwankpa has over twelve years of post-doctoral university teaching experience and currently lectures in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Rivers State University, Nigeria at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He did a brief stint as a Newspaper Editor before joining academia and has remained an active researcher in communication and the environmental conflict in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. His research interests include Journalism Studies, Reporting Conflict, Environmental Communication, Political Communication, and Gospel Communication.His widely citedstudy, “Reporting the Parliament: A Nigerian Case Study,” published in Brazilian Journalism Research, showcases an in-depth analysis of parliamentary reporting in Nigeria, highlighting the challenges and nuances faced by journalists in this specific political landscape. Nwankpa’s works are characterised by a commitment to understanding the intersection of media, governance, and public accountability in Nigeria. His researches have also been published in Media, Culture and Society;AMCAP Journal of Media and Communication Studies, The Nigerian Journal of Communication, etc.He is the Lead Investigator of a research think-tank, Responsible Journalism, based in his department.

Staff list in the Department

Name	Rank	Area Of Specialisation	Email
Dr. ItiekeIdamieba Harry	Lecturer1	International & strategic communication,massmedia law and ethics, pedagogy of mass communication, propaganda, advertising/integrated marketing communications	harry.itieke@ust.edu.ng
Prof. Richard N. Amadi	Professor	Public Relations, advertising, print media	amadi.richard@ust.edu.ng
Prof. G.B. Okon	Professor	Communication for Development, media advocacy	okon.godwin.@ust.edu.ng
Prof. Fred A. Amadi	Professor	Print journalism, Critical Discourse Analysis.	amadi.azbuike01@ust.edu.ng
Dr. Faith Ozikor Amah	Assistant Lecturer	Public Relations and Advertising	ozikorbabe@gmail.com
Mr. Ebenezer Umor	Lecturer l	Public Relations,New Media	ebenezer.umor@ust.edu.ng
Mrs Abiye Solomon	Clerical Officer
Mrs Finess Elenwo	Admin. Officer l		ichechielenwo@gmail.com
Mr. Nekabari Moses Obuh	Information Officer		nekabari.obuh@ust.edu.ng

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To produce graduates who have be found worthy in character and learning.
To produce qualified and adequate manpower in public relations and advertising in industries (private and public), Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, education sector (schools, polytechnics, monotechics, colleges and universities), financial institutions and entrepreneurship (self-employment).
To produce graduate with required skills in research and practice of public relations and advertising in addition to related disciplines.

STRUCTURE OF THE UNIT

The Department’s structure is subsumed in the general organogram/structure of the University made up of the Visitor, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Librarian and Bursar (in order of power).

Consequent upon the above, the Head of the Department is the administrative and academic head of the Unit/Department followed by the lecturer – colleagues; themselves defined by their ranks (Graduate Assistants to Full Professors) and then the non-teaching/support staff. The administrative functions of the Department is achieved through team work and delegated powers donated to the staff through appointments by the Head such as the Exams and Records Officer, Students’ Advisor(s), Centre for Continuing Education Coordinator and so on. In all of these, the Head of Department generally carries out the management functions of directing, coordinating, motivating and so on. The students are at the base of the structure of the Department.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE PROGRAMMES

The influence of Public Relations and Advertising as an organized social and economic phenomenon has grown across the world. While businesses and organizations are increasingly utilizing Public Relations and Advertising to achieve their business and marketing goals, the society and the economy are increasingly impacted by a growing volume and variety of Public Relations and Advertising communications. To that extent, Public Relations and Advertising is an important subject of academic inquiry and professionalism. Therefore, in appreciation of the current complex and technology driven nature of the society, the BSc programme in Public Relations and Advertising is designed to produce highly knowledgeable, skillful and socially responsible professionals in advertising, direct marketing, sales promotions, corporate, public, and business and integrated marketing communication using traditional and new media to enhance development in all sectors of the Nigerian society.

OBJECTIVE

To expose Public Relations and Advertising (PRA) students to the fundamental nature of the society with a sense of critical inquiry as it relates to the role of Public Relations and Advertising and media in society.
To equip students with knowledge, skills and values in Public Relations and Advertising and other tools and strategies towards development programming in all ramifications, including health communication, social mobilization and related issues.
To train and equip students with requisite knowledge and skills required to function as professionals in advertising, direct marketing, sales promotions, corporate, public, and business and integrated marketing communications in present day knowledge society.
To train scholars and professionals who have a good knowledge of the theoretical framework/foundation of Public Relations and Advertising, and can practically apply same to solve real life issues for public, private and not-for-profit organisations.
To provide the PRA students with the opportunity to master the arts and sciences of communicating with publics that transcend all disciplines in communication and media studies for the promotion of corporate or business practice and national development.
To train and encourage scholars and professionals to be more effective communicators, able to think, research creatively and write, produce and disseminate information using the tools of PRA in different sectors of the society using available media channels and tools.
To train scholars and professionals who would act as trustees of the public trust and that would be socially responsible to the communities they serve and other stakeholders by being accurate, fair, balanced and objective in their engagements of societal issues.
To enhance quality research in PRA in order to provide scholarship and the industry with current, reliable and adequate data for planning and development.
To produce Nigerian PRA scholars and professionals who will begin to protect the basic principles of people’s right to public information, commercial free speech and PRA as an agent of social change and development.
At the end of the degree programme in PRA, it is expected that graduates should be able to establish their own organizations in the area of Public Relations, advertising, event management, social communication, lobbying and related areas of practice. This should capture current trends in traditional and digital marketing as relates to PRA.
To raise and sustain the professional status of PRA in Nigeria.