By Sharifatu Ja’afaru (300 Level)
All the gloomy reports about newspaper circulation rapidly dropping, network news ratings declining and reporters being laid off might lead you to believe that Journalism itself is dying. But Journalism is well and alive.
Journalism by definition is the activity or profession of writing for newspapers or magazines or of broadcasting news on radio or television.
Journalism is the practice of investigating and reporting events issues and trends to mass audiences of print, broadcast, online media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television stations, networks blogs, social and mobile media. The product generated from such activity is called journalism. People who gather and package news and information for mass dissemination are journalists. The field includes writing, editing, design and photography. With the idea in mind of informing the citizenry, journalists cover individuals, organizations, institutions, governments and business as well as cultural aspects of society such as arts and entertainment.
A journalist’s most important tool is her brain. As a writer for the masses, journalists have to cut through the flab of all the information around. They need to ask many questions – What happened? Who does this affect? Why is this important? – in a bid to satisfy the curiosity of their audience. Journalists therefore need to learn how to think and learn how to learn. In the words of a communication scholar Prof. A.U. Enahoro, “An illiterate in Mass Communication is not the man who cannot read and write but the man who cannot learn relearn and unlearn.”
It is in line with the above that this writer went round to seek the views of some journalists on “what it takes to be a journalist.”
Lynn Adda a practicing journalist with Taraba Television Corporation who was also the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) Taraba state chapter responds thus: “A Journalist must first be one who is interested in the trade or business and will do all it takes to protect its codes of conducts. He must also be properly trained in the journalism art, curious, always striving to know almost everything about all subjects. He must be willing to read other people’s work and many more”.
It takes passion to become a journalist. According to John Mason, “God has put inside every person the potential to be passionate. One individual with passion is greater than the passive force of ninety-nine who only have an interest. Passion will make a man to spend hours in a profitable exercise to achieve a good success. Following your passion is the key to finding your potential. What you love is a clue of what you contain.”
It is important to see journalism as being more than just a job. There are definitely easier and higher-paying jobs. But unlike other fields, journalism gives you as opportunity to expose lies, explain dangers, inform the uninformed and occasionally, make a difference. At its best journalism can be lot of fun and very rewarding. Hard work and self-discipline are at the heart of good journalism. Journalists should be accurate, truthful and write in easy to understand, manner, be disciplined and realistic.
Journalism is a competitive yet highly rewarding field. It’s the backbone of the media industry and is critical to a high functioning democracy. Ahmed Usman Jalingo, a journalist with Taraba State Broadcasting service said, “To be a successful journalist, you must have passion for truth, honesty and integrity and the guts to go out and get the story”.
A good journalist has several characteristics that can’t be taught in school. They are characteristics that must be part of who they are. A good journalist is one who is nosy. Where did the money for the project came from? Why is this politician supporting this policy? Why are these construction workers not wearing their head gear? A good journalist is the one who is curious and burns with the desire to know what is going on in the world. Journalists don’t take things on face value. Press releases or information given to them from people pushing for a certain agenda is only a starting point for good journalist.
A good journalist must be resourceful. Resourcefulness gives a person the ability to be able to always find a solution to difficult situations or at a dead end. For a journalist to fit into 21st century, being committed is paramount. There are sacrifices that must be made in a journalist’s personal life in order to get work done. The news business is highly unpredictable, and the person who refuses to work nights, weekends, or holidays usually wouldn’t get far.
Interpersonal skills are extremely important in order to be a good journalist. Even if others consider you to be a very shy person, you must improve on yourself in order to obtain information from people. Atimes there are press releases where the journalist will ask and be asked questions to which you must respond in a repectable professional manner. Having confidence in yourself also exudes competence.You must be able to ask the tough questions, act accordingly, get the details to get a story written with accurate facts and quotes.
To fit into journalism profession, you must be determined. A journalist knows the difficulty in finding information, especially when certain people won’t agree to be interviewed. Nevertheless, they are determined to get over the toughest hurdle and bring a difficult story out into the open. Journalists should have a good grasp of general knowledge. A good journalist is one who knows something about everything. They are well-informed, news junkies especially in the area of politics, current affairs and law.
A good journalist is one who has a thick skin. There are situations where a journalist cannot not find interesting stories to write on or people who are willing to talk to them. Notwithstanding, a good journalist should maintain a high level of motivation whatever the situation may be.
Journalists must be able to take personal responsibility for what they write. They must keep in mind that there will be people who will be upset because they disagree with the angle of the story or because they wanted their story to be given more importance. Either way, a journalist must be fair all the time and maintain a level of objectivity in what they report.
Journalism is highly competitive. It is difficult to get a job in a mainstream medium as a journalist but there are many other opportunities for journalists as long as they are determined, competitive and have the skills.
Ensure you get your foot in the media door. Some ways to start your journalism career include: blogging, making regular contributions in your school or university newspaper, and volunteering at community radio stations. Keep in mind that any extra experience you get in any media field will place you one step ahead of everyone else in the industry.
If, after all this, you decide to pursue a career in journalism, be prepared for significant changes. But don’t be afraid of what the future may bring. The media is in a state of flux right now. That’s nothing new. From history, one could be see that journalism is technologically advancing so, don’t be discouraged from the field by doomsayers who predict that newspapers and network television will soon die. Sure, the way journalists do their jobs may change, but there will always be journalism and the need for journalists.
