On Monday, May 3, Rwanda joined the world to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day with a series of activities in line with the theme “Information as a Public Good,” while journalists who did a good job over the past one year were awarded in the Development Journalism Awards (DJA). This year’s celebrations were not physical due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A talk show to discuss the status of press freedom and the media landscape in general was hosted on Rwanda Television (RTV), after which Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) and the Rwandan Journalists Association (ARJ) announced the winners. The New Times’ Lydia Atieno was among the winners, while Rwanda Broadcasting Agency’s Divin Uwayo scooped the Story of the Year award. As they say, journalism is a necessary sector for society, which is why it is referred to as the ‘Fourth Estate’, but the advent of the digital era had many say that journalism is under threat due to social media, which introduced citizen journalism. However, as it has been proven over the years, mainstream journalism continues to be a necessity, though it evolved, with most of the journalistic work going digital. Whether you want to be a broadcast, print, or digital journalist, there are a few things that need to come into play for you to be successful in any newsroom. Thinking of becoming a journalist? Here are some tips to consider. Have the passion Journalism is a job of passion. It is a calling. You need to have the passion to become a journalist as the first step to become successful in any newsroom. Everything else comes after passion. In most cases the salaries will not be the most enticing but as long as you are passionate about it, you will keep pushing. Study In today’s world, a journalism degree may not have all the educational requirements, but it can certainly increase your chances with potential employers in the field of journalism. Even if you have a degree in other disciplines but you are passionate about journalism, it is advised that constantly studying and upgrading one’s skills is very important, particularly in this day and age when journalism is going digital. Apart from the degree, pursue some short courses that will give you an edge in this fast-evolving media world. Practice They say practice makes perfect. It is advised that you find a newsroom to do an internship. Gaining experience is the best way to prove you know how to do the job. It is very important to find your niche and find a place to try out, even without pay from the start. During that period, learn as much as you can from the professional journalists and qualified individuals around you to best prepare yourself for the job ahead. Whatever you will work on during that period could earn you a permanent slot elsewhere on better still where you started out. Develop your writing skills Regardless of which medium you are working for, developing your writing skills is as important as ever. Even in broadcast, you need to prove that you can write a script which can deliver a good story. If you are more interested in online or print, start off with blogging or becoming a freelance writer for news organisations or other media outlets as another way to gain experience. Pick topics that grab people’s attention, and show your ability to find a story that attracts your audience. Develop a network In journalism, creating connections with editors, news reporters and sources is the most important skill. You need to know where things are happening and keep tabs on developments. The bigger and richer your network is, the higher the chances of becoming a better journalist. Find your area of specialisation Journalism is wide and can be all over the place. You can’t cover everything and anything. Find a ‘beat’ that you feel strong and passionate about and focus on that. Every newsroom has its beats and topics to focus on. For example, you can choose to be a court reporter, an environment reporter, a health reporter, business or lifestyle/society reporter. Interview skills Having the best interview skills will give you an advantage as you try to become a good journalist. Think critically, ask questions, probe further, dig deeper. If you can’t float your questions well, you are likely to miss the story. Voice practice If your passion is broadcast journalism, your voice is everything. Regularly practice how to bring out your voice in the best way possible. Your voice can take you places. Social media skills In today’s world of journalism, social media skills are everything if you want to grow. Know how to manage key social media platforms that are most used by the media including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other information disseminating apps. Good luck!
