“Timsed 94.1FM, you, along with your intern and SIWES students, offered your radio station as an impetus for a pull towards the classroom renewed…”
It will be an understatement to say this is not the best of time for one to seek to be a teacher. The parlous state of the education sector and the unending ASUU/Federal Government imbroglio over worsening conditions in the sector is, indeed, not encouraging.
However, and in spite of the omniously dark signs, the urge to impart knowledge in true knowledge-seekers seems to be having the upper hand. The quest to serve humanity, even in the classroom, is gaining more ascendancy in me, irrespective of the non-challant attitude of the nation’s leadership, the elite inclusive.
Inadvertently, this pull for a stint in the classroom recently took me to Timsed 104.1FM Radio Station, owned by Chief Rotimi Obeisun and located in Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State (the newly-sworn in Governor Ademola Adeleke has, by an Executive Order, at least, reverted the name from the hitherto State of Osun).
My task was very simple namely, to give the over 20 students from various institutions across the state and beyond who are at the radio station for their internship and SIWES programme a two-day refresher talk on “Journalism and News Reporting.”
Though pro-bono, I could not resist the urge to take up the offer when I got to know that the students were eagerly waiting to listen to whatever I have to offer them, as a trained, experienced and practising journalist.
I cannot help falling for the charming enthusiasm of the students when I got to the expansive hall the first day. While they are still students of journalism and related courses, they, undoubtedly, were willing and ready to learn beyond the classroom.
With the little I offered them, they got to know that journalism is far beyond the theories they were exposed to in the classroom; they came to a better understanding of what it takes to be a good journalist in practical terms.
I made them to know and understand the fact that upon the shoulders of the practitioners of journalism lays a very great responsibility to keep the society as one, as they mirror the society and its people.
Beyond what they were taught in the classroom that “the pen is mightier than the sword”, I made them to understand that, though constitutionally-recognised as the Fourth Estate of the Realm after the three arms of government, vis-a-vis the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, journalism is a thankless job.
They got to know and realise the fact that the journalist is often at the receiving end, bearing the brunt for the mistakes (deliberate or otherwise) of our wheeler-dealer leaders and some other critical stakeholders.
More importantly, I was very blunt in telling the intern and SIWES students that they are already in the wrong profession, if they thought that journalism is an avenue to becoming wealthy individuals in the mould of the Otedolas and the Dangotes of this world. Put differently, they got to know that journalism is not lucrative; it remains of the poorly-renumerated careers.
The students were warmly receptive to the reality that journalism is purely service-oriented; that they can achieve greatness but can only live beyond the average by leveraging on the friendship and relationship they are able to cultivate in the course of discharging their duties and responsibilities as journalists.
Above all these, I made them to realise that the common parlance, “You are addressed the way you dress”, is the truth. They came to an understanding that they must be always be formally, decently and neatly dressed, but not dressed to overkill.
In all, most of the students displayed their willingness to embrace journalism. They expressed their readiness to go out there into the world to explore and excel exceedingly in the art and act of news writing and news reporting.
They were thrilled about the possibility of meeting great personalities and individuals, males and females, who have helped to shape (and are still shaping) the cause and course of the socio-economic and political development of this potentially great country called Nigeria.
Above all these, I also discovered, once again, that learning is a continuous process. I became aware that my interaction with the intern and SIWES students was mutually beneficial; while I imparted knowledge in them, I learnt some new curves in journalism as well.
The two-day talk was, indeed, a refreshing moment for me. It afforded me the opportunity to start considering the possibility of dusting my books rusting away on the shelf and think of going to the classroom.
Many thanks to the Management of Timsed 94.1FM, especially the General Manager, Mrs Yemisi Olufade and Mr Femi Ojo, a young but top staff who always asks deep and burning questions on his weekly programme, “This Morning On Timsed FM”, which centres on burning national issues. As a matter of fact, we became acquaintances earlier, having been brought on air months thrice before my coming over, to speak on the programme, via the telephone…and we eventually met during my visit to the radio station.
Mrs Olufade and Mr Ojo, you, along with your intern and SIWES students, offered your radio station as an impetus for a renewed pull towards the classroom… you all gave me the opportunity to rediscover myself as a teacher who can still make some useful and positive impacts in the classroom, especially on students of journalism.
