Find yourself and discover your niche, keep building capacity and growing. Leverage the digital media to showcase what you know to do and do not ignore Artificial Intelligence (AI). Explore formats and channels for your media expertise and be bold about giving visibility to what you know to do.
A new year, brings with it an opportunity to reflect on the past year and strategize to achieve better results. As we step into 2026, it is pertinent to know that the ever-evolving modern tech driven media landscape, has given broadcasters a bigger playing field in their careers. The career prospects are massive giving any broadcaster who is invested in building capacity an opportunity to work in varying job roles or stand independently. No more feeling boxed in or stranded.
Therefore, I will like to get you thinking deeply about the following questions in order to position rightly as a practitioner. Where are you in your broadcast media career journey? Are you in your early, middle, management or retirement time zone? Understand that no matter where you are on the spectrum, there is still room for growth and loads of opportunities and options are available to you.
Skills in demand that broadcast professionals already possess
Simply by working in the broadcast media space, you are already equipped with many relevant skills in demand in the modern job market. Some of these include, storytelling, communication skills, creative writing, reporting skills, interviewing skills, production skills (Radio or TV), presentation skills, content design and creation, people’s management, team building/work – no production is done alone, there is always a team working together to deliver on broadcast production, emotional intelligence, stakeholder management – as media professionals, we meet different people and manage people from all walks of life.
Early Media Career
For those in the early media career stage, focus on learning and mastering the art of the profession. Take on tasks assigned with a willingness to do excellently well and somewhere in between, pay attention to tasks that showcases your strength. Discover yourself and your niche. Identify a mentor doing excellently well in your niche, and you do not have to have access to him or her. Simply, follow their content and programmes via radio, TV or online.
I started out as a content producer on radio but quickly developed skills in not only conceptualization of content ideas and script writing but went on to acquiring interviewing skills, presentation skills, use of audio software and editing skills, storytelling and audio drama writing and production skills etc. Versatility became the name of the game in my career as a broadcast media professional. But soon my area of expertise and strength became clear and I began to build capacity around what I was best at even more. Interestingly whatever other skills I had acquired began to serve my main niche and gave me an edge over others in terms of career opportunities. I have gone on to acquire more tech driven skills that I can take to the market.
As an early career broadcast media professional, you are among the lucky ones especially in the ever evolving technologically versatile media landscape in modern times. Loads of opportunities are at your fingertips, so make up your mind to not settle for less but take advantage of technology.
Mid/Management Media Career
By now, you should have discovered your niche in the space. Personal capacity building and intentional continuous learning attitude are your biggest bridge to a more fulfilling career prospect. Be ready to unlearn and relearn. Apply for fellowships, attend workshops, and enroll for courses, virtual learning has made learning accessible and easy to participate in, so no excuse. These platforms offer opportunities to expand your mindset, network and learn about best industry practices that is relevant to current technologically driven realities.
The only ceiling blocking your career expansion and possibilities is the one you have created in your mind. There is a lot you can still do. I am going to be showing you in a bit career prospect for anyone in the media no matter what stage they are in their career journey.
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Management/About to Retire or Retired
Don’t go to sleep and lie to yourself that your best years are gone simply because you are about to or are retired. No, they are not! Examples of colleagues who remain relevant having found their niche and narrowing down abound. Bimbo Oloyede, Moji Makanjuola, Cyril Stober, Lekan Otufodunrin. Opportunities abound where your experience and expertise are needed.
Career Prospects and Job Roles for Broadcast Media Practitioners
Radio/TV Stations: Job opportunities are open for broadcasters across increasing number of stations been set up.
Media Trainer: Provide consultancy services and facilitate pieces of trainings
Development Communication- Communicators and media professionals are in high demand across various thematic area in the development/NGO space. For example, Communications Officer/Manager, Knowledge Management, Media Relations and more.
Lecturing – Tertiary institutions need your hands-on media experience to better prepare Mass Communications, Media Studies, Communications & Language Arts students for the job market in the industry.
Storytelling for Organizations/Business Branding and Visibility
Social Media Marketing/ Social Media Manager – storytelling & writing, graphics design
Copy writing/Article writing
Podcast – Create a show around a program content you are an expert in. Example – Current affairs, music shows, personality interviews.
Video/Audio Editing – hands-on skills that are in high demand across organizations and businesses.
Voice Over Artist – not just for commercial jingles but for animated or video formats, documentaries, features etc.
Translation skills – There will always for need for language translation services. If you have strong knowledge of, ability to speak and write in any Nigerian or foreign language such as French, you are sitting on a money-making skill.
MC – Professional Host for events – There will always events to host so horn this craft and become a professional and unforgettable host that keeps getting referrals.
Audio Storytelling Scriptwriting and Production consultancies
Industry Examples: Building your personal brand in your identified niche
Bimbo Oloyede, Veteran Broadcaster and News Anchor, she leveraged on her communications and public speaking expertise to become a trainer and Founder/Lead Consultant of the Strictly Speaking Academy.
Adedamola Tinubu, Veteran Broadcaster- After retirement becomes a lecturer continues to mentor media professionals
Kayode Okikiolu, Channels TV embarked on a personal creative journey to break the news down so people can be better informed to engage governance. YouTube Channel, and Linkedln. This has gone on to give him bigger visibility, opportunities and awards.
Dele Adeyanju – Founder Agbaletu TV on YouTube. This programme broadcast in the Yoruba langauage started on radio as a regular programme but Dele took his passion and continued to build until it gained a bigger platform. Time will fail me to mention a lot more people.
Conclusion
Find yourself and discover your niche, keep building capacity and growing. Leverage the digital media to showcase what you know to do and do not ignore Artificial Intelligence (AI). Explore formats and channels for your media expertise and be bold about giving visibility to what you know to do.
Adebisi Adetunji is a Media and Development Communications professional with over 20 years’ experience working as a Broadcaster, Content design, Storytelling and creative writer, Media Trainer and Social and Behavior change communicator.
She is a published author who has written six books, Undaunted- The Journey and Lessons of 20 years of Media Practice, Fighting Fibroids, Evolve, Modify and Grow for Media Professionals, Sagacious Bites for Life, Borrow Sense for the Workplace and Lord, I Remember.
Adebisi is the host of the Media Talks Show, Evolve-Modify-Grow Podcast and Course Creator/Lead Instructor of the E.A.T Academy, Audio Drama Bundle Course & Storytelling Boot Camp Series.
