By Oreoluwa Adejumo
In this age of citizen journalism, many people stray into the media without having the basic principles of journalism.
But some corps members recently had the opportunity of a masterclass in the news business when publisher and author, Mr Akeem Lasisi, took them through the principles of reporting.
The programme held on September 20th, 2024, at Great Value Classic School, Ibafo, where the corps members are serving.
Lasisi, who is the Publisher of Phenomenal.com.ng and a lecturer at Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan, stressed the importance of preparing for life after service, prompting the question, “What is your post-service plan?”
Here are excerpts from the responses of some of the corps members:
“I like to go into graphic design, which I have already started working on.” – Samuel Adeniyi
“I plan to pursue my master’s degree and complete my professional examinations.” – Funmi Ipaye
“As a ceramist, I will start my own brand after securing a well-paid job to gather capital.” – Oreoluwa Adejumo
In his presentation, the publisher discussed seven key principles of news writing:
- The headline
- The report should normally answer the questions of who, where, when, why, how etc.
- News is usually written one sentence per paragraph for clarity purpose.
- Factual accuracy.
- Balance.
- Need to avoiding libel.
- Simple and correct English or any other language being used.
