Jovial Rantao is the Deputy Editor of the Sunday Independent in
Johannesburg. He took part in a Common Purpose course there.
A direct benefit of this was that Jovial feels that his news
stories have become increasingly detailed, in depth and accurate
because of his greater knowledge of Johannesburg and the challenges
it faces. This has been a huge benefit to the newspaper as a whole,
and as a result it has now become well-known for its coverage of
inner city issues.
"The paper has become more involved in the regeneration of
the inner city and housing issues there; conducting investigations
and publishing both issues and successes to publicise these to the
community."
The course has a comprehensive focus on Johannesburg, the people
who live there and the development issues within the city:
"This enabled me to develop a much stronger understanding of
the city."
The course also helped Jovial develop this confidence in terms
of his leadership which he has used as a journalist: "It gave
me a strong sense of empowerment and I feel able to ask
increasingly probing questions of both others and myself."
Another significant aspect for Jovial was the discussions with
other participants and the access to parts of the city that he had
previously not been exposed to which exposed him to people who
might otherwise shy away from the media, but who were happy to
share their experiences as part of a group. This gave him the
opportunity to interact positively with a range of individuals and
as a result he has developed a strong network of contacts both
socially and professionally:"It opens new windows in your
professional life and gives you access to a whole new group of
people."
Jovial has also seen the benefits reflected in colleagues who
have also taken part: "Several colleagues have come back
increasingly empowered, knowledgeable and with their horizons
significantly widened. There has been a very positive impact. It
can really help you to grow as an individual and you feel more
confident and ready to get involved in society."
it has now become well-known for its coverage of
inner city issuesit has now become well-known for its coverage of
inner city issues
