Akeem Lasisi
Multimedia trainer, Dan Mason, has highlighted some five issues that rob selfies of quality and effect.
This is as he explained traits that guarantee viewers’ attention, noting that producing the selfies is more than a spontaneous affair.
Mason, who is also a digital creator, revealed this in Lagos on Thursday, while training a crop of media personalities during a workshop tagged Change your Story, organised by NLNG.
According to him, the selfie broadcaster should not use a teleprompter as engaging the device tends to kill the naturalness of the delivery.
“You lose human connection with the audience when you read,” Mason said.
The second practice he derided is hanging one’s phone on the nearest window while selfie-casting.
This, he noted, was also unprofessional while it could also distract attention.
Thirdly, Mason warned against leaning backwards if the presenter would sit at all.
He actually recommended standing while shooting the selfie as he feels the person will be smarter and more businesslike.
“Don’t fold or pocket your hands while producing the selfie,” he said on the third put-off.
He also doesn’t want the presenter to fold their hands backwards.
According to him, it is better to show one’s hands and appropriately gesticulate.
The fifth don’t has got to do with framing.
He said the content presenter should boldly fill the frames.
“Fill the space. Show your eyes. Look at the camera. Read faster if it is news you are casting,” Mason stressed.
For most other programmes, he strongly advised that one start with a question, noting that the poser often caught the audience’s attention with the presentation unfolding to answer it.
In spite of his insistence on the principles, however, Mason gave allowance for innovation and surprises.
He told the practitioners at the event holding at Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island: “Break the rule. People like what is new.”
The workshop packaged by the Founder/Director of The Journalism Clinic, Mr Taiwo Obe, started on Wednesday and will end today, Friday.
It is training 36 journalists drawn from different strata of the industry.
On the essence of the project, Obe said it aimed at cultivating and mentoring a new generation of journalists in Nigeria.
“You are never too old to learn.” he told the participants during the opening ceremony.
Also, Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at NLNG, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting professional journalism through training and knowledge sharing.
According to her, NLNG’s goal with the workshop is to equip the participants with the latest knowledge, tools and insights that make their work easier, sharper, and more impactful, leveraging your professional ethics, personal accuracy, and digital solutions.
“As journalists, you do more than report facts. You interpret issues and help the public make sense of decisions that affect their lives. In today’s fast-changing world, that role has never been more critical, especially as your audience confronts competing socio-economic issues.
“Over the course of this programme, you will have the opportunity to explore real-world issues that are shaping modern journalism, such as Innovative storytelling with multimedia tools, and how to combat misinformation and master digital verification,” she stated.
