The Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP) on October 4, 2023, held a training workshop for 55 campus journalists who are members of Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) of the University of Ibadan on “Reporting for Impact”.
The programme aims among other things to position the next generation of Nigeria and African journalists/broadcasters for the world of work in the media and also build the skills of early career journalists, most especially the youth, so they can push for the youth voices in democracy and open governance through ethical and professional news content production and publishing.
Mr. Yinka Olaito, Executive Director of AFYMP who declared the workshop open, charged the participating campus journalists to understand the role they play in their community and in the society at large. Yinka said: “You must understand as a media practitioner that whatever you put out there must be factual as such content can inflame or make the society great”.
He stated that there are basic issues that must not be overlooked in reporting or publishing stories, warning that those who go out just to inflame society with fake news will not also be spared. He said reports are not written or published just to attract attention.
There must be a good reason for each story. Many just commence their story writing without a focus in mind. He emphasized to participants; “You cannot be a good storyteller except you also learn to listen, read, observe and pay focused attention on the issues without adding your egos or emotions into the report.” He warned that those who do such do not last and they are easily forgotten over time.
Damilola Fajinmi, a broadcast journalist, who also took participants on the value of indigenous news reporting emphasised that indigenous languages are becoming more relevant in media reporting as the days go by. According to Damilola, “Indigenous languages are not barriers to media reporting. They are an added advantage for engagement.” She cited the pidgin English programme called “Sabi Ya Health” which she anchors.
President of the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan chapter, Tobi Odeyinka, expressed his appreciation to the AFYMP for the impactful sessions which included among others Insights on impactful journalism, hands-on reporting techniques, expert sessions, and networking opportunities.
Participants at the workshop expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to participate at the workshop as well as the professional knowledge gained during the sessions. Lawal Taiwo Yusuf, a member of the UCJ commended AFYMP for co-hosting with the union such a professionally enriching workshop.
