Adeyemi Temitayo kehinde and Bankole-Bawa Ademola, both Mass Communication Students from Ajayi Crowther University last week completed their internship with Media Career Development Network. They wrote about what they learnt and their experience below.

Adeyemi

The Executive Director of Media Career Development Network (MCDN) Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin made me understand the basics of writing with the support of other staff, Mr Dayo Emmanuel and Tunde Abatan.

It was a great experience working with them because at first, I was nobody in writing, but now I can beat my chest to a point that I can write. Reading books as a student was a huge task for me because I hate reading books, but when I resumed work here, the first work I was given to do was to read a book and discuss what I read in it. Inspiring books to me here are: Journalism of my Life by Mr Lekan Otufodunrin and Get out of Employment by Ronke Kosoko.

Reading these books made me realise if I want to know how to write, I must read broadly in order to be a good writer.

However, writing my first article was a very big task because all I wrote was out of the basic or concept of how a news story is written. So, there were a lot of corrections which forced me to write and re-write.

After a long while, my first story was published 3rd September 2019 “1999 Constitution responsible for Nigeria’s woes-Afe Babalola.” Six of my stories were eventually published before the end of the internship.

Also, attending meetings was never part of me but I had to imbibe the attribute because I learnt here that as a  journalist you must always be available to get news.

READ ALSO: Internship Diary: My first visit to a newspaper office

Bankole-Bawa

Working in the Media Career Development Network brightened my knowledge and beamed my searchlight on news writing and journalism in general. I was groomed and assessed by hot prospects in the field of journalism. I was groomed by Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, Mr Dayo Emmanuel and Mr Tunde Abatan who are great men in Journalism.

I was not taught how to write a book review before, neither had I written one, but in MCDN, I wrote a book review on, “Journalism of My Life,” by Mr Lekan Otufodunrin. I learnt the format of writing and was corrected made to understand that journalists work with deadline.

I was corrected on how to write news story by Mr Dayo, changing of errors in grammar, pin-pointing a suitable headline and how to beef up a story. He taught me and made me understand the way to inject and add up interviews in a news story to make the news story shed more light on the event.

I attended a press conference at the International Press Conference (IPC) by CEEHOPE Child Protection.

I wrote news stories,  submitted them and was corrected. The corrections made me understand how to use the 5W’s and H. The corrections made me observe errors of facts and figures, errors in grammar and accuracy in every news story I write.

A news story which I wrote on the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed was published on www.mediacreerng.org  and I had my byline on it thanks to Mr Otufodunrin.

Finally, I want to appreciate everybody in Media Career Services, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, Mr Dayo Emmanuel, Mr Tunde Abatan, Mr Basil, Miss Rhoda. It was indeed a splendid experience.  In my previous internship, I was an errand boy, but here,  I learnt a lot and I enjoyed good-relationship with the Editors.