County Director of Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi has urged media Interns to prioritize competence, diligence and excellence over the pursuit of intense desire for chasing money during their early days in the media profession.
Mr Sanusi gave the advise during an interview after a courtesy visit by his organisation to the Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria (HRJN) office in Lagos by interns with the Media Career Development Network (MCDN)
Answering a question on the attitude a prospective journalist must imbibe to be successful in the profession, Sanusi who was a journalist for seventeen years stressed the need for Journalists to strive for excellence in their career as media professionals.
He explained that integrity has been his watchword and main focus which have earned him ample opportunities, including good income later in his media career.
“A journalist should know something about everything and it’s better you begin by having a knowledge of print media, because the act of writing is the crux of the Journalistic exercise, “he said.
“Your duty is towards the interest of the people and not to the politicians or your boss in particular, you need to look out for the interest of the public, because as human rights and as Journalists, we are all in allegiance to protect the people.”
He further advised media interns interested in Investigative Journalism to be guided and have the interest of the public at heart.
“You need to prepare ahead, know the risk involved and be wise to discern, so you won’t end up being frustrated after working to promote an individual’s personal agenda”
The Governance Project Manager for Amnesty International, Bhavika Solanki-Silva, encouraged the interns to strive for positive change in the society through their stories.
” I know how tough it is to operate or report in Nigeria as a Journalist, but you must not stop until changes happen, keep hope alive as you grow strong,” she said.
MCDN interns also recently attended a training for staff of HRJN on Cyber-Security during which they learned how to detect types of cyber threat and protect data in transit or data at rest.
The HRJN team was led by the Executive Director, Mr Kehinde Adegboyega.
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