NIJ Student News Diary: Bridging the Gap between Quality Journalism and Content Creation in Personal Branding
When students of journalism have a good grasp of how journalism operates in the work place and business ecosystem, they become prepared to develop the necessary skills they need to excel in the digital age.
By Runsewe Grace Oluwatumininu
An enlightening forum unfolded at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) hall on May 29, 2024, where journalism and content creation intersected during a seminar tagged: Harnessing the Gap between Journalism and Content Creation. Experts from both fields shared valuable insights with NIJ students, emphasizing the significance of leveraging digital platforms in today’s media landscape.
The keynote speaker, Lekan Otufodunrin alongside media experts like “Lady E” Ejiro Umukoro, Sunday Ehighator, and Cyril Usifo who spoke at the workshop organised by MAD helped students nagivate monitisation on digital platform, high quality content creation, branding, and social media management.
In particular, as a student, many of us were inspired by Lady E Ejiro Umukoro, popularly known by her brand name “Lady E”, who captivated aspiring journalists and content creators by addressing the divide between traditional journalism and the modern digital landscape. As a woman with great command of her craft and expertise who spoke eloquently, she encouraged students to embark on a journey of self-discovery, prompting them to reflect on their personal essence and how it could shape their professional brands.
Lady E mesmerized the aspiring journalists and content creators with her advice on harnessing the gap between traditional journalism and the modern digital landscape. She also advised the students to undergo a journey of self-discovery by asking themselves why they are in NIJ and also the three words that best define their essence and how it can be converted into their brands.
“I urge you all are here to ask yourself these questions: Why are you in NIJ? What are the three words that defines you? What drives you? What is your personal goal? What is your personal mission?” she asked.
This exercise not only challenged the students to define and redefine themselves but also prompted them to consider their strengths as future media professionals.
During the session, Lady E revealed three words that defines her essence and depth: the “Bodacious Vivacious VaVaVoom”. Her practical strategies highlighted the power of digital platforms in amplifying storytelling, shedding light on opportunities in social media, online publishing, and multimedia content creation.
During the interactive session students had to critically reviewed how they interact with the media and they platforms they choose for their portfolio references. Lady E made references to the social platforms particularly mentioning LinkedIn, which only a handful students know about. That was an eye opening moment for NIJ students, especially those in ND1 and ND2. She then urged the students to create a strong profile on selected social media platforms to market themselves. She clearly stated that “If you don’t have a profile on Linked-in, I want you to create a strong profile now and market yourself and what you do”, she nudged the students.
She also advised students to have a personal brand and to intentional about who they follow on social media as she asked: “What kind of content do you post on social media, who do you follow on social media. How many of you know Christen Amanpour? I can see few hands, how many of you know Broda Shaggi?” When there were more hands for the latter than the former, it occurred to students of journalism that if they were to excel in their field, they need to look at experienced and notable persons in the field of media and communications they can use as a guide to improve their own knowledge and hone their skills.
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