Reading through the reports on three recent media awards and fellowship winners, Lekan Otufodunrin, media career development specialist highlights a number of things the winners did that gave them the edge over colleagues.
1. Write stories that have impact and result in action by authorities:
Tobi Aworinde of Sunday Punch who recently emerged winner of the Journalist of the Year category of the 2016 Nigeria Breweries Golden Pen Award published an expose on cheating at a ‘Miracle’ NECO centre. Following the publication, the centre was shut down by the Lagos State Government.
*Don’t be satisfied with writing only routine stories or stories for story sake. Undercover stories like the one Aworinde did is the kind that easily stands out in the pack of hundreds of entries.
2. Don’t fall into the routine of working to survive or working to earn a meal ticket:
Jude Nwabuokei of Radio One 103.5FM, Lagos who won a fellowship programme for journalists organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information that took him to New York realised early enough that anyone who had succeeded in anything at all was someone who deviated from the norm and deliberately decided to follow the footsteps of the greats.
*Despite a hectic day at work, he was going through different comments and timelines on facebook when he came across a link on a colleague’s timeline that referred to a fellowship programme for journalists being organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information.
*Since he had a knack for exploring opportunities, he clicked on the link and saw that he met the requirements. The application process required that he submit three samples of reports he had done that were related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as writing four essays, with the first focusing on the reason for applying for the fellowship.
*Many journalists easily give up when they are required to provide the above requirements or don’t have good reports to submit. Jude, did not only have what was needed, he took all the trouble to submit the requirements and like they say, the rest is history.
3. It can take several applications to win.
Editor of TheCable, Fisayo Soyombo who won the Newcomer of the Year category of the 2016 Free Press awards, held in The Hague, Netherlands had come close to winning some other awards in recent years which he didn’t.
He had either been a runner-up in some or ended up been nominated as a finalist. Instead of giving up like some other colleagues do, he has persisted in applying for awards knowing the high quality of his reports.
When he announced on Facebook that he had been nominated for the Free Press Award, someone wrote in the comment section: You have to win this time.
He did with his daring story which did not go down well with the military entitled ‘Forgotten Soldiers’ — a five-part series exploring the agony of soldiers shattered by Boko Haram’s bullets and mines, and what their pains mean for their loved ones.
The jury also praised Soyombo for his other two entries: ‘Undercover Investigation: Nigeria’s Customs of Corruption, Bribery and Forgery’, and a three-part investigation into Liberia’s post-Ebola recovery and the embezzlement of funds meant to fight the virus.
It may take time but you will surely get your well-deserved award and media fellowship if you don’t give up.
