Talking Up the New Media

Catholic University students learn how to use social medias

On May 5, more than fifty students of the school of communications at Catholic Faculties of Kinshasa crammed into a hot and stuffy classroom to participate in a presentation on social media given by Kinshasa PAS.  The highlight of the event was a talk on “Obama – the First Facebook President,” by Patrick Cannon, associate professor of Government at California State University, Sacremento.   Professor Cannon is currently serving as a Fulbright Lecturer, teaching courses in International Relations and English as a Second Language during the spring 2009 term at University of Kinshasa.   During the event at Catholic Faculties, Professor Cannon explained how Barack Obama used the social media sites Facebook and My Space to communicate with voters, generate enthusiasm for his historic race for the White House and raise funds for the campaign.  Using a visual display of Obama’s personal pages, Professor Cannon gave the students concrete examples of how they could build their own careers by using the same techniques that helped propel Obama to the White House.

In addition to Professor Cannon’s talk, teaching sessions on new media technology were presented by William Strassberger, Public Affairs Officer with AF PD/PA, and Katya Thomas, PAO Kinshasa.   The program was well-received by the students, many of whom can only access internet through the limited facilities offered by the university, or at local cyber-cafes.  Many cited the challenges they faced in getting on-line, yet expressed enthusiasm for new media, particularly in developing their professional portfolio.  While some students had previously thought that the new media were predominantly useful only for social purposes, the presentations demonstrated how these tools can help them enhance their education, build professional skills, and possibly get a job upon graduation.