For many university students, industrial training is the first time classroom lessons meet real working life. A group of 14 Mass Communication students from the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) have just reached that point, after being received by the media organisation CrossRiverWatch in Calabar.
The students, who either picked CrossRiverWatch themselves or were recommended to it, will spend four weeks getting hands-on experience. The placement counts toward the one-month field experience that is compulsory for students in their department, covering different areas of journalism and media practice.
They were welcomed at the organisation’s office at No. 15 Kings Street, Big Qua Town, Calabar, where an orientation session set out what would be expected of them.
Make the most of it
The News Editor, Patrick Obia, told the students to get ready for a rewarding experience. He pointed out that the training period may not come around again in their academic journey, so they should treat it as a real opportunity. He also urged them to give their best, not just for the grade but because other people look up to them as role models.
Obia stressed that journalism rewards discipline, commitment, dedication, punctuality, and hard work.
Be ready to learn, unlearn and relearn
The organisation’s industrial training coordinator, Kelvin Ololo, and co-coordinator, Sylvia Akpan, also spoke. They asked the students to keep an open mind and be ready to learn new things, let go of old assumptions, and learn again, because journalism and media keep changing.
The students replied that they were eager to take on the challenge and pick up as much knowledge as possible in the short time available.
The session gave them a clear picture of what the organisation expects and the professional standards required of anyone aspiring to be a journalist. It ended with a question and answer segment and a group photograph with the staff.
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