In the past one month, International Communications consultant and former CNN correspondent, Gina London has been in Lagos as part of the Find Your Edge Leadership and Communication program.
During her stay, Gina has conducted series of communications training sessions for leading businesses and other organizations, including the media. I participated in the first general training and was also part of the session for The Nation Newspaper staff.
Tomorrow, I will be at Muson Centre for the Effective Communication session for students during which Gina will again share her thoughts and experience on the communication industry.
Listening to Gina has inspired me in a number of ways. The former journalist, who has transformed into an international communication consultant, encouraged me to pursue more vigorously, my vision of becoming an international media career development specialist.
The award winning journalist reinforces my belief that a career in the media is as diverse as possible, depending on how you maximize the potentials and skills you garner over the years – while working as a journalist.
I remember, at the session in The Nation, that she restated the need for journalists to master their work so well and be conscious of the fact that someday, they will need to remain relevant as professionals when the newsroom years are over.
” Top newspapers have shut down in the US. I know good journalists who have suddenly been jobless. When you find yourself in situations like this, which is common these days, you will have to fall back on what you an expert in,” Gina said.
If you think the issue of poor pay for journalists is peculiar to Nigeria and have been discouraged from putting your best into your assignments, Gina’s comment on this issue underscores the real essence of the profession.
” Journalism isn’t a career you enter thinking you’re going to make a lot of money. Our wealth comes from telling real stories that make a difference.
” In every society, it’s the same. For journalists to build credibility and deliver value, they have to learn to be watchdogs, not lapdogs,” Gina noted.
Lest I forget, one of the other numerous tips Gina offered journalists in going about their work is, “Learn to build relationships with your sources, beyond calling them when you need a quote or two from them for a story.”
Many thanks to the hard working team at Amplio Consulting in collaboration with SwiftThink Limited who, according to a tweet hash tagged#FindYourEdgeLagos, ‘masterminded’ Gina London’s invitation for the programme.
Please share with me and other readers journalism lessons you have learnt from any seminar or workshop.
Lekan Otufodunrin
Email: info@mediacareerng.org /Telephone: 08023000621 /Twitter: @lotufodunrin /Skype: lekanskype
