Dr Nseme Stephen Ndode, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Head of Division for Business and Coordinator of the Communication Research Center at the University of Buea, has returned from a staff training program at Aarhus University in Denmark, where he was exposed to the concept of constructive journalism, a model he believes could reshape news reporting in Cameroon.
Dr Ndode was one of two UB academics selected for the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility program. During his stay at the Department of Media and Journalism Studies from April 13 to May 5, 2026, he participated in workshops on grant writing, cross-border data journalism, digital media, social energy, and scientific writing.
He also visited the Constructive Institute, a research and outreach hub advocating for solutions-oriented journalism. He says this approach can reshape the fundamental role of journalism in society in an era of citizen reporters, artificial intelligence, and fake news.
In this exclusive interview with The Post, Dr Ndode also tells us he was academically challenged when he saw how the Danes appreciate concepts like press freedom, which remains a critical concern in most countries in Africa, including Cameroon. He observed that the campus newspaper maintains editorial independence despite being funded by the university.
From state-of-the-art radio and television laboratories to the campus newspaper’s editorial independence, Dr Ndode says there is urgent need for greater investment in journalism training and an open media policy in Cameroon.
Excerpts
The Post: Thank you, Doctor, for accepting this interview. Can you tell us more about this program that you just attended, and how you got selected to be part of it?
Dr Stephen Ndode: Thank you, The Post, for the opportunity to share my views and experiences. The Erasmus+ KA171 program is a European Union initiative meant to enhance collaboration between and among universities, to ensure that universities in the Global North and those in the Global South collaborate. The Erasmus+ Staff mobility training program provides the opportunity for a staff member in a university like the University of Buea, as in my case, to travel to a foreign university, as I did to Aarhus University in Denmark, for a period of time to obtain training on research methodology, teaching practices, attend workshops, seminars and also be guided on how academics unfolds in advanced countries. In terms of the selection process, Aarhus University, which is the recipient institution of this grant, has a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Buea.
Both institutions launched an appeal for candidates to apply to this program through the Cooperation Office of the University of Buea. Candidates applied and my project on the intersection of digital media and journalism education was selected. Two of us were selected—myself Dr Nseme Stephen Ndode from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Dr Primus Tazanu from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Buea. My stay in Aarhus University was a great and laudable experience.
What were some of the activities that preoccupied your stay in Denmark?
Most of the activities were guided workshops organised by staff collaborating on research projects, research centers, and institutes at Aarhus University. My host was Associate Professor Teke Ngomba of the Department of Media and Journalism Studies. Within this period, we had a series of workshops on grant writing, cross-border data journalism, digital media, social energy, platform data, scientific writing, and research methodology. I also had the opportunity to participate in supervision sessions where I learnt some of the methodologies that Aarhus University uses to teach and supervise students at the Master’s level. I also visited some of the infrastructure and institutions they collaborate with, like the Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX).
That was a wonderful experience for me! I saw how they teach and practice journalism. I visited their radio, newspaper, television production and photojournalism laboratories. I saw the photojournalism Wall of Fame; an innovation for me. It has top-notch photography taken by students. The pictures are recognized and awarded. The best photos are posted on the wall for everyone to see. Another key moment was in a workshop I attended on ‘Dealing with Platform Data’, in which I presented the paper, “Online Media Consumption Habits and Democratic Futures of Young Cameroonians”. I received enormous feedback from workshop participants.
I also had the opportunity to visit the business hubs. They have a wonderful idea called “The Kitchen” which inducts students into the world of ideas and entrepreneurship. We also have such initiatives and incubators at the University of Buea, so, I learnt a lot from their model. I also visited the INCUBA; another great business model at Aarhus University, where a gigantic business structure is established on campus to allow for business persons, banks, AI companies, and all kinds of businesses to connect with students on campus. Students have the opportunity on campus to learn firsthand from those models and also see how they can integrate same models into practice. Some of the students are recruited and work with these businesses on campus. That was useful for me, particularly because I’m Head of Division for Business at the University of Buea. This helped me to take notes what we could integrate into our current business model.
Again, that was particularly interesting to me because on January 22, 2026, we presented, with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Cooperation and Relations with the Business World, Professor Ngange, to the Council of the University of Buea, a model structure of how we think On-Campus Businesses should look like. We have started the groundwork for that project.
Another interesting activity was a session at the Constructive Institute. It is as an organization situated in Aarhus University. They are worried at the existence in quantity and quality of negative news in the media across the world. It’s an initiative not only at Aarhus University but spread in other countries, including partnerships in Africa. I shared my experiences at the Constructive Institute. They’re concerned with reconstructing the global news flow from the negativity we see in the media to constructive and solutions-oriented journalism.
We also have that kind of model here, mostly expressed as peace or development journalism. It’s not sufficient, for instance, to say there is incessant power cuts in Buea, no water, or this and that is not working. What is the solution to the problem of electricity or water? So, it’s not all about negativity. Negativity should be reported, but the emphasis should be on the solution. I was very intrigued to learn from that model.
Apart from the very serious academic life on campus daily, I also visited cultural and academic infrastructure out of campus. They have a wonderful concept and structure called Den Gamle By. It is the Old Town, which traces the history of the city of Aarhus in particular and Denmark as a whole. I toured Den Gamle By to witness the evolution of Denmark to present day.
I also visited ARoS; a magnificent structure, tourist attraction and major contemporary art museum in Denmark. It has interesting features and artefacts. I also had the opportunity to visit the Dokk1 Public Library, with ample documentation, books, articles, so many aspects about life in Denmark and the globe. I also went to the Aarhus Domkirke – the Cathedral, constructed in 1109 – more than 900 years ago, yet, still magnificent. I also visited the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and other attractive structures and spaces to blend the academic and cultural aspects of my expedition.
Doctor, the concept of constructive journalism, which you spoke about, is very interesting but appears to be new in our media landscape. What is the relevance of constructive journalism to Cameroon?
I was intrigued with statistics the Constructive Institute presented to us, based on their research. The study showed that each time people get negative news, some slump into depression and trauma. And you don’t want to put yourself at that level, where people look at you as a mirror of society, and then you are the bearer of bad news all the time. So, constructive journalism revises the fundamental role of journalism in society. It’s a very serious concept, but also troubling, because some journalists believe that ‘when it bleeds, it leads’—the assumption that negative news sells. Being constructive also means focusing on solutions. This has implications for journalism training institutions in Cameroon.
One of the aspects you discussed and engaged in was cross-border data journalism. What is cross- border data journalism and how can academics in UB collaborate with those in Denmark and other universities around the world to foster the concept?
The workshop on cross-border data journalism was an educative session which showed how journalists across borders cooperate and network with communities on global concerns. Migration and conflicts, for instance, affect everyone. You see the devastating effects of conflicts in Cameroon, Russia–Ukraine, Iran–US–Israel, and others around the world. Cross-border data journalism builds on the idea that journalists and society can collaborate to provide solutions to global problems. This is facilitated by data to strengthen and visualize reporting with empirical evidences.
If you are talking about migration, which is a cross-border issue, how do you discuss it without reporting data? You need to tell us how many persons are involved, who is doing what, at what level. The data provided at different levels makes the stories appealing. If you’re talking about conflict, you have to indicate how many persons are involved. If you say a village was attacked, how many persons were involved? Who are they? What are the implications? Who intervened at what level? That’s data. And how do you report that data? Do you report it in the form of charts in a newspaper or TV report? The data presentation style determines how the public appreciates, understands, and interacts with the data and the entire report.
Another important aspect around cross-border data journalism is collaboration and cooperation between and among institutions. During the workshop I attended, a lot of emphasis was made on fundraising. Data journalism is a serious exercise. It involves a lot of Investments in material, financial, and human resources. At the Communication Research Center of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Buea, we train human resources that go out to the field, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and write reports based on the data.
This task is even more essential today because journalism seems to be in the hands of everybody. Journalists today have to take a step ahead to get into details of investigative journalism, deep data-driven and community-oriented journalism. This will cause members of the community to be part of the journalism. When this happens, they feel that the journalism belongs to them and can participate willingly in the information process.
When you visited the campus radio and production studio, what were the differences you observed between these facilities and the ones that exist back here?
I was offered two things the first day I started work on campus. The first was the digital library, which I had in my computer. The entire University library was in my computer for me to access top Journals in Media Studies, Journalism, and other areas. Then, I was given access to the physical libraries in the department and university. The national library in Denmark, The Royal Danish Library, is hosted in Aarhus University. I had great experiences there. I went there almost daily to access the information resources and factor them into my writings and publications.
The campus newspaper, Omnibus, transitioned online in 2021. Before this, I was intrigued to learn that the newspaper produced up to 15,000 copies. When they shared that experience, I was fascinated; more so, because we have not attained that level. In fact, we struggle in journalism schools in Cameroon to produce even 1,000 copies. And the publications are not regular. It shows the seriousness that Aarhus University puts into journalism. But even more interestingly, the newspaper is funded by the university and copies are distributed freely to staff and students. That is their model.
Ours at the University of Buea, for instance, is that the newspaper funds itself. Students market the newspaper because of the foundation of our training: ‘the production process only gets completed when the goods reach the final consumer’. Students take the final product to the consumer and market it. The Editor-in-Chief of Omnibus, Marie Groth Andersen and journalist Asbjørn With Christensen, with whom we had a conversation at Omnibus were intrigued that our students have to take the newspaper to the consumer. We shared these varied experiences from Denmark and Cameroon.
I think the bigger lesson here is the importance placed on the media of communication that inform, educate, and put the university on the spotlight. But again, the fact that the university funds the newspaper doesn’t mean that the newspaper is not critical. I was shown and given copies. I asked, does the University dictate on what the newspaper writes? They said no. The newspaper maintains editorial independence. It upholds the qualities of a newspaper for free, independent, fair and objective journalism.
I also had the opportunity to visit their radio laboratory. It is state-of-the-art. I counted over 30 smart computers in their media production laboratory with students busy there, and I thought we could learn from that model. It shows the extent of investment made to sustain journalism.
But even theoretically, the lessons are there: the need for an open culture where we discuss journalism and the fundamental role of a Journalism and Communication department in a university. We are training industry professionals. Some of them may not have the opportunity to attend another school after graduation from our undergraduate journalism training. Hence, it is essential for them to receive the best theoretically and practically.
Doctor, what are some of the challenges you faced during this program and what will be your message to the University of Buea community?
Academically, I was challenged as a scholar. Some of the concepts, and the way we appreciate them here, are sometimes approached differently outside our context. For instance, I was intrigued to learn that World Press Freedom Day is not observed at Aarhus University. When I asked, I was told they are not concerned with press freedom. Denmark is ranked among top countries in the world in terms of press freedom. This challenged me theoretically because I come from an African and Cameroonian context where press freedom is taken seriously. In fact, we have an upcoming book on ‘Press Freedom, Access to Information and Media Ethics in Africa’ published by Bloomsbury Publishers, USA.
In terms of innovation, you look at Omnibus newspaper for instance. They transitioned online in 2021. That’s probably an aspect I should highlight.
They produced the hard copy to a point, and are now fully online. They told me it’s having great impact. That is an innovation we are thinking about in my department. Apart from having the physical copy of The Chariot newspaper, it’s important to maintain online presence. Also, it’s a great lesson for me, our students, and the department on the need for innovation in journalism, mass communication, and media studies.
By innovation here, I mean all aspects of the training, including Newspaper, Radio, TV production, Advertising and Public Relations, and Communication Research. Our laboratories need to be equipped. We need a state-of-the-art radio laboratory for efficient training of our students. The television, film or documentary production studio also has to be modern. We can only do this when all stakeholders are on board, including institutional and industry/business/corporate support, as well as a strong and supportive alumni network!
Again, and this concerns my administrative portfolio in the University of Buea as Head of Division for Business, the idea of The Kitchen and the INCUBA are so useful because they taught me how business is done and structured on campus. We are already implementing some of the aspects I learnt from the Danish experience, especially in terms of links with the industry. On journalism practice, I think it’s time for us to continue redefining the scope, application, and role of journalism in modern society, especially with the introduction and effects of artificial intelligence. We have a lot of misinformation today.
With ideas from the Constructive Institute, we should be reconstructing and reconsidering the fundamental role of journalism in society. This is attainable with emphasis on the professionalization of journalism training and the relationship between journalism training and journalism practice.
Thank you very much, Doctor.
Interviewed By Hope Nda