At Women in Journalism Conference 2017, a number of leading media practitioner left indelible imprints on the hearts of many budding female journalists like me.
One of such impressions was by when the pioneer of the first female-centrist radio station in Nigeria, Toun Sonaiya of WFM 91.7 explained creativity in an exceptional way.
“You can’t be creative without being open to what is around you. You have to be in tune with your environment. Creativity is open-mindedness,” she stated.
I find this comment thought-provoking because one of the challenges of many young journalists is finding a good ‘story idea’.
The realization that the seemingly missing ‘story idea’ is in reality within my immediate environment changed my perception on journalism entirely.
Sonaiya added that careful observation and pro-activeness however, is the action that would make the difference between a successful journalist and an unsuccessful one.
CNN’s Stephenie Busari also reiterated the role of social media for the 21st century journalist.
She described it as a platform of global audience. And since the media profession is about communicating with/to a heterogeneous audience; a global audience shouldn’t be underestimated.
According to her “Social media cannot be underestimated. It allows you to reach point you cannot ordinarily reach. It is indispensable in the media profession as obtained today”.
