How To Become A Journalist in Nigeria (2024)

Looking forward to becoming a successful journalist? You’re certainly in the right page as this article will serve as your guide in learning how to become a journalist in Nigeria. The information on what’s required for the work will all feature on this write-up.

A journalist is basically a professional who gathers reliable information about current occurrences and reports such news and current affairs to the general audience. A journalist may also be involved in news analysis in order for the public to gain a better understanding of the consequences of certain regulations, laws, or acts.

THE BASIC SKILLS NEEDED TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL JOURNALIST

If you want to be a successful journalist, you must do some preparation. If you want to work as a journalist, you’ll need to have and practice the abilities listed below.

• Reading and Writing Skills: A skilled journalist broadens his or her horizons by reading widely. They should also be an efficient writer.
• Thinking critically: A good journalist must be able to think critically in order to interpret events for the general public.
• Research: A skilled journalist should be prepared to conduct extensive research both online and offline.
• Amass a vast amount of knowledge: You can get experience through internships and volunteer work before getting your first professional job in today’s environment, where potential employers seek people with several years of expertise.

HOW TO BECOME A JOURNALIST IN NIGERIA

The following are the steps to becoming a successful journalist in Nigeria:

STEP 1: HAVE A FORMAL EDUCATION

You must be curious about practically anything and eager to learn more about it. Formal education can assist you in learning worldwide best practices in journalism, which will help you to direct your enthusiasm.

It’s also worth noting that, in this digital age, a degree in mass communication isn’t required to begin a career in journalism. There are other ways to accomplish this. The importance of having a passion for the profession cannot be overstated, so you ought to have education to build yourself up.

STEP 2: OBTAIN A BACHELOR’S DEGREE

A bachelor’s degree is a good place to start to become a journalist. After your secondary school, you should enroll in a university or polytechnic to pursue a journalism-related degree, such as mass communication. Some higher education institutions call this course Mass Communications, while others call it Communication Arts.

You can also enroll in the Nigerian School of Journalism, where you will receive specialized journalism training.You should be able to specify what area of the media you wish to work in after graduating from a higher education school.

You must have at least five SSCE credit passes in math, English, literature, government, economics, or any other social science-related course to gain entrance to a higher institution to study mass communication. Some colleges and universities also require you to obtain Christian or Islamic religious studies credits.

STEP 3: SELECT A CAREER PATH

Journalism, as previously said, is a large field with many divisions and fields in which to specialize. Print media, such as newspapers and magazines, and electronic media, such as television and radio broadcasts, are examples. You can also choose to work for a news organization or as a freelancer, writing articles for them without being totally employed by them.

STEP 4: GET VOCAL COACHING

Accent and pronunciation instruction are very important especially if you want to be a radio or television host. In order to become an efficient journalist, you’ll need to obtain some voice training so you can convey your messages effectively.  Some radio and television stations establish training courses where graduates might find work. You can also self-train by using online resources to improve your presentation skills, as well as attending presenting auditions and other classes.

STEP 5: HAVE A DISTINCT WRITING AND REPORTING STYLE

As a print journalist, you must have a unique manner of presenting and writing news that will help you stand out. This is a good approach to get your name out there in the area of journalism. You can improve your writing talents by studying and modeling journalists who have gone before you.

STEP 6: MAKE CONTACT WITH JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS

In the field of journalism, networking is particularly vital. Attend events and network with other professionals like editors and authors. This is a great method to learn about new opportunities, both domestically and internationally. You can also meet people who have worked in the industry for a long time and use them as mentors.

STEP 7: WORK AS AN INTERN FOR A NEWSPAPER MEDIA COMPANY

Internships are valuable in the field of journalism because they provide you with experience and exposure to what it’s like to work as a journalist. You will have the opportunity to research, write, investigate, and edit as an intern. Your internship experience can be included to your curriculum vitae to help you get additional job prospects. Also, an internship is an opportunity to work before becoming a full-time employee.

STEP 8: PRACTICE YOUR JOURNALISM WORK ON THE INTERNET

Fortunately, in this digital age, you may always build a personal website or blog to display your work and create original content. As a journalist, this is a good approach to develop an internet profile. You can also send it as a pamphlet.

Furthermore, in order to remain relevant as a journalist in today’s world, you must be up to speed on digital marketing abilities. These new media abilities you should have as a journalist include the following:

• Have a basic understanding of SEO and analytics to see what others are saying about your material. This involves keeping track of site views, clicks, and other metrics.
• Multimedia: This implies that you must master the use of images and videos to successfully communicate your message.
• Content formatting: Another thing is that you must learn how to keep your content short, intriguing, and to the point.

If you would want to advance more, you can have an online news business which will enable you report your events directly and with ease.

CONCLUSION

If you are usually interested in current events and engaged in conversations about them, you should consider pursuing journalism as a career. There are more fresh and intriguing options for budding journalists than ever before. If you follow the steps outlined above, you will be well on your way to being a successful professional Journalist. We wish you good luck and pray your dream career comes to reality.