Executive Director of the Human Rights Journalists Network (HRJN), Kehinde Adegboyega has charged journalists to maximize local and international media fellowships as a springboard to enhance their career growth.
He offered the advice while speaking at the virtual launch of the Nigeria Media Capacity Development Report 2022 published by Media Career Development Network (MCDN) held on the 15th of May, 2023.
According to Adegboyega, attending media conferences exposes beginners and veterans alike to myriads of opportunities around them that can be explored through networking with others of like minds.
“There are thousands of journalists in Nigeria and it is a competitive space where people want to get better opportunities. I can tell you that because of the opportunities that some people have maximized, there are media houses that are even looking for them. They don’t have to apply or write to someone because they have been spotlighted through these media opportunities like the awards by Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and the likes,” he stated.
While noting that there are local training opportunities, he said there are also opportunities for international fellowship through which some journalists are scaling up their careers despite the overwhelming state of the industry.
He stated that the Capacity Development Report published by MCDN could guide journalists to what’s next for their career, as some journalists might look out to newer areas in the profession to venture beyond traditional reporting practice.
“The report could also be like a motivation for you because sometimes it could be frustrating and that’s the reality we face in our job daily. One editor is giving you one pressure or the other, the media house is not compensating you enough and some people are not being paid salaries for a while. But these opportunities give you another perspective, a better perspective about your career, what you intend to do in the next five years and so on.
“You’re seeing journalists that you can say if this person can do it, then I can do it also. If this person can get this award, then I can get it also. These are the opportunities and I’m really impressed with a lot of funders. I know there are a lot of needs, a lot of opportunities and a lot of gaps that need to be filled.
“I’m impressed and appreciate the efforts of media NGOs, and funders that are doing so well for the media. This report will help you to spotlight what opportunities are there for you because it is possible for you to wake up in the morning and get tired of even pursuing stories, but even the opportunity to attend a national conference will afford more opportunities,” he said.
Adegboyega also stressed the need for journalists to think outside the box and form alliances with other NGOs than media-oriented ones as this will broaden their scope of reports and offer new insights into various fields.
He said there is a need for journalists to understand how to increase their capacity for reporting instead of being accused of not doing what is right.
