Journalist, Communications Trainer and Digital Strategist, Stephen Gyasi Jnr writes on the origin of PENSDOWN, an online conversation platform for journalists, and milestones achieved in the commencement of the partnership with the Media Career Development Network.
The Pen is the symbolic tool of the Journalist, and when it’s up and busy, stories upon stories are told laden with information, education, mind-blowing exposés and everything in between.
PENSDOWN – an online conversation that engages Journalists from all walks of life to talk about their journeys through their craft – was birthed eight years before the concept produced its first episode in November 2021.
The reasons for coming up with PENSDOWN are not far-fetched. Journalists needed a voice of their own to tell their own stories in an atmosphere that encouraged candour and sober reflection. Matters affecting Journalists and their works also needed to be raised and discussed on a forum exclusively dedicated to their cause. The conditions under which some Journalists worked, especially in Africa, called for some scrutiny and with the consistent talk about those, some relief may come their way.
Also, PENSDOWN is a forum to appreciate Journalists that their work in contributing to shaping society was worth the while and priceless. On PENSDOWN, we take the position that not all Journalists will win awards or earn recognition but the majority were doing amazing work and needed to be celebrated and or exposed – so we provided a platform accessible to all. The show was also created to help the world understand the telling realities Journalists grappled with to get those stories, exclusives and investigative pieces out for public consumption – and appreciate them better for braving the odds to get society in better shape and also keep the ruling class away from the national purse.
While lecturing in Journalism and Mass Communication at the Ghana Campus of Mahatma Gandhi University in 2014, I shared the PENSDOWN idea with a number of my students and encouraged them to implement it to financially empower themselves and also stand out in a profession which had become “choked” with so many doing the same things. Some six years after that advice, I realized none had taken it up so I reorganized the concept to officially float it.
From Local to Global
PENSDOWN in its originality was supposed to be a local concept that would have primarily engaged Journalists in Ghana to talk about their journalism journeys. The capacity to rope in Journalists outside Ghana on the show was not included because I had little knowledge of any available technology at the time that I could afford to actualize it.
Covid-19, Zoom & A Revised PENSDOWN
When the dreaded coronavirus descended on the world and forced us to stay apart, one meeting platform – zoom – became popular for corporates and even families to connect without physical contact to head off any looming crisis. I took an interest in it, learnt how to use it and adopted it to give PENSDOWN a global complexion.
With Zoom in the picture, the need to revise PENSDOWN was a top priority. I reworked the blueprint for the show to give it a global outlook, with the opportunity to engage even more colleagues across the globe in conversations about their craft and how the journey had been so far. With all these preparations, I was still not sure when the appropriate time was to start the show.
In March 2021, I lost my father – one of the pillars whose life of holiness and integrity shaped my entire existence. I thought of a posthumous honour deserving of the impact he had made on my life, and starting PENSDOWN came in handy.
READ ALSO: ‘How to rescue journalism’
Guest Profile
Over 110 Journalists located in 10 countries across three continents have taken turns on PENSDOWN to share their experiences in the line of duty. From chilling experiences of near kidnap, and ill-treatment in the hands of separatist fighters to how a helpless village boy ended up in journalism school and shortly after graduating, won a coveted prize in journalism as a freelance writer. The stories and experiences have been diverse, neck-turning and fulfilling in some parts.
From senior colleagues who have done more than 40 years in active journalism. to younger ones who have been on the field for 6 years, experiences have poured into PENSDOWN with lessons, tears, regrets, accomplishments, satisfaction and determination to change the course of things with the power of the pen. To some, Journalism was a choice while others landed in it by accident. Conditions of service have left varied tastes in the mouths of many. A senior colleague wouldn’t even encourage her kids to venture into journalism because of the yawning gap between her effort and her income after almost three decades of practice. Some much younger ones are willing to make it a lifelong affair if conditions could be better
Milestones
Less than two months after PENSDOWN started, the Managing Editor of pan African publication – The Africa Report – monitored one of the conversations on PENSDOWN and called up the guest later to offer him the opportunity to write for his publication.
Besides, more than 110 Journalists littered across 10 countries on three continents have joined me on PENSDOWN with intriguing accounts of varying experiences in the line of duty. From the harrowing to the heartwarming, all have been told on PENSDOWN
Our latest milestone is the partnership agreement between PENSDOWN and the Media Career Development Network – a media capacity building, coaching and mentorship outfit that delivers expert training to all categories of media practitioners. Portions of PENDOWN’s conversations will be captured on their online portals with prospects for capacity building, exchange programmes and knowledge sharing.
