Journalists should significantly enhance the documentation and visibility of their journalistic work with digital tools.
Award-winning journalist, Justina Ashishana gave the advice at an insightful session during the January webinar of the Female Freelancers Network (FFN).
The event, themed “Leveraging Digital Tools to Document Your Work,” attracted participants from Nigeria and the Diaspora, eager to improve their professional practices.
“The digital landscape offers more than just a way to archive our works; it opens doors to new opportunities and networks,” Ashishana said and noted the importance of maintaining a professional portfolio and recommended platforms like Muck Rack and Autority.
“I frequently share my Muck Rack link as part of my CV,” she said and encouraged attendees to create their profiles to gain visibility and potential networking opportunities.
As a data and investigative journalist with The Nation Newspaper, Ashishana shared her expertise on various digital tools that can aid print, broadcast, and multimedia journalists.
She discussed practical resources for interviewing, transcription, writing, and multimedia production, emphasizing tools such as Otter and Turbo Scribe for interviews, Google Docs and Grammarly for writing, and a variety of multimedia applications including Canva, Flourish, Inshot, Capcut, and Audacity for radio professionals.
Elizabeth Osayande, the Convener of the FFN, explained that the webinar was informed by the challenges many journalists face in tracking their digital footprints.
Participant feedback reflected the value of the session, with attendee Jacinta Oguadimma stating that the webinar was “an eye-opener; I have learned about basic tools that can significantly improve my craft.”
For more information about the Female Freelancers Network and upcoming webinars, please send correspondence via email to: femalefreelancersnet22@gmail.com
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About Us:
Female Freelancers Network, FFN, formerly known as Female Freelancers Federation, FFF, is a platform dedicated to giving freelancers, especially female freelancers, a voice and the platform to connect, grow, and make impact on each other and, by extension, the society.
We do this by sharing resources, collaborating, and organizing fora. One such is the monthly media expose, where veterans and mentors share their stories, and speak of the professional, their experiences and the dynamism inherent in the job of a journalist.
