REPORT FOR INTERNSHIP IN 2009/2010

Introduction

This report is all about an internship undertaken at the Ghanaian Times Newspaper. The internship offered me an opportunity to work in the Newsroom of Ghanaian times. It broadened my horizon as to the techniques of the journalism trade.

I believe that the report in here would be useful to the faculty of communications science of journalism department of Jayee University College. This report will equip the journalism department to ascertain the impact of internship on journalism students of Jayee.

This report is structured in such a way that will put in the picture, the experiences I as a student journalist acquired in the field during the internship including drawbacks, lessons, and challenges if there were any.

Background of the internship

The rationale of the internship was to equip me with the experience that I needed to be able to ply the trade of journalism. The internship is a useful project to undertake, because it took me through the etiquettes of the professional practice of journalism.

As a matter of fact the internship provided me with the chance to put into practice the theory that I have studied in school. It gave me the impetus to go on as a professional journalist.

The internship was also crucial because it served as a partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of advance diploma in journalism.

The media house that offered me the unique opportunity to undertake this noble internship was the Ghanaian Times Newspaper. They are one of the largest state owned newspapers, with branches through out the country. Ghanaian Time can pride themselves with a daily circulation of about fifty thousand copies.

The internship spanned for two months, I started from the 1^st December, 2009 till 30^th January 2010. The duration was enough for me to learn most of the disciplines of journalism as a news reporter, even though I recommend for the extension of the period from 2 to 3 months.

Mr. Harry Reynolds is the Group Editorial Manager of the Ghanaian Times Newspaper. And he was the one who supervised my work during the entire internship period. Mr. Harry was an intellectual and a great Teacher, I learned a lot from him.     

Methodology

The internship was undertaken in Accra, I worked in the newsroom as a Ghanaian Times news reporter. My basic responsibilities as a news reporter included attending forums, seminars, and meetings. I arranged face-to-face interviews with public officials and other important figures in the society.

As a person entering news gathering and news processing for the first time, I encountered few hic ups here and there on the very first day that I started. But I subsequently equipped myself with the dos and don’ts of the profession and also learned from the senior colleagues. It was also a bit easier for me because I was also sent on assignments to go and cover events, even though I did not rely on them.  

I preferred my own original stories to the assignments that I was being sent because the stories I got from the assignments lacked originality.

Technically, one had to use one’s expertise in this discipline so that one can get the effect that one wants. Definitely, if you go to an assignment you meet a lot of other journalists, therefore I did not consider that kind of work as serious journalism. As a journalist, I was always striving for exclusivity even if it took days to conclude. I always get excited any time I initiate my own story and it got hit the tabloid.

Averagely, the maximum duration in processing my own initiated stories is between three day and one week. I had uncounted stories that I had to cross check for more than three days just to avoid controversy. I was always careful not to cause any legal tussle between the media house and anybody. 

Actual work

The work that I did at the Ghanaian Times Newspaper involves news gathering and news processing. As an intern, I went to work as early as 7am. I assisted the senior journalists with their work in the newsroom. I also helped to put things in place by tidying up the newsroom for the day’s business to commence. In addition to this, I used to file the day’s newspaper in the Times news file.

By 9am I was out in the field for one assignment or the other. If there were no assignment I sought permission from my news editor to go and pursue my own stories, am happy that permission was all the time granted.

A typical day’s schedule for an average journalist, of which I am one, saw me moving from one potential news source to another. Indeed, I spent most part of my day in the field collecting news. I could only be seen back in the newsroom of Ghanaian Times by 5pm.

At that time most newsmen had returned from the field and news processing and analysis begun. I got my stories together and make them ready for publishing. Some times upon my arrival my news editor would ask me what I have got for the day. When I told her she would get interest in the story and ask me to expedite its processing and submit it for proofreading, editing and subsequent planning it into the dummy page layout.

Some times the page planners would call me to come and justify some portions of my stories. When I got there and make some few corrections and modifications, then I would be convinced that my story was going to be published on the following day’s edition. Typically, this has being the nature of work I did at Ghanaian Tines newspaper from the day I started the internship until my time run out.

The department where the internship was undertaken

At Ghanaian Times Newspaper, there are several departments including finance, editorials, production and advertising. I was happy to have been placed at the editorial department where news gathering, processing, analysis, proofreading and editing were done.

The newsroom, as part of the editorial department is one of the most interesting departments at Ghanaian Times Newspaper. This is the department where I saw all the seasoned journalists that I have heard of before I got to the New Times Corporation. In the morning, all of them were converged at the newsroom. Interesting topics and their day’s experiences were discussed. I learned and enjoyed every bit of their discussing before they left for their various assignments.

When I came back in the evening again, they were also there writing their stories putting pictures together and collaborating with sources of their news via telephone calls to confirm one or two things. As an intern, I benefited from all of this, I considered them as the techniques of the journalism trade and I humbly adopted them all.

How I did the work

Journalism work, for that matter news gathering and news reporting is a pretty tedious work. Looking at the principles and standards of journalism one cannot but agree with me that it is not easy in meet the values of the job.

Considering what is involved in news reporting, a journalist must go the extra length to satisfy the principles of accuracy, balance, clarity, objectivity, truth, comprehensiveness and independence. This is a tall order, but that is the mill through which news passes through before it is either ‘‘inked or aired’’. It is believed that all these elements and more must be present in a story to make it news worthy.

As a journalist I employed several methods in the gathering of news including interviews, attending government meetings, research, press conferences personal observations etc. any of these methods is used depending on the situation. Mostly I did follow up stories perhaps to remind the authorities on promises that they have made.

In doing follow up stories, I go back in time to pick a story of public importance and public interest. I sought people views to do evaluation as to whether the story was still relevant. The significance of doing follow up stories was to keep public officials in close monitoring by reminding them that they could not say just anything and think that the people will forget.

The methods and the equipments that I used

Traditionally, every journalist uses pens and jotters and notebooks in recording events. But the advent of technology has helped the situation today by making available cameras, digital recorders and other gadgets.

I used digital camera, digital recorder and ‘‘the almighty’’ notebooks and pens. Like I have said earlier on, any of this equipment can be used depending on the situation. For instance, if I were to interview any important personality, I used a digital recorder which is very portable and produces crystal clear sound.

Most often digital camera was used along side with notebook/jotter. In a situation where sound was not clear, and recorder could not be used, I resorted to the use a jotter. In some situations I was not allowed to use a recorder, then again I used a jotter just that I would not miss any details.

Observations/findings

When I was at Ghanaian Times Newspaper during the internship, I observed that as a journalist I needed to be patient and hard working. I recognized that a journalist had to be assertive and independent before he/she could achieve higher heights in the journalism trade.

I also reckoned that it was very easy for politicians and other identifiable groups and interest groups to corrupt journalist. The journalism trade is now full of gullible people with a shameful claim that it is a calling for them to become journalists. They are always ready to sell their reputations, if there are any for a pittance. This sorry state of journalism, I believe is creeping so fast in media fraternity.

In reference to the ills of journalism, I constantly strived so hard to avoid occasional traps that would have otherwise destroyed my aspirations as a journalist. But there was always the better side, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Clearly, journalism is full of fun because you got to meet with interesting people in the society including politicians and other important people like business executives.

Challenges

In every trade there are occupational challenges, journalism as a serious profession comes with a baggage that that every journalist must work to defeat. Indeed, I encountered several challenges that were so daunting nonetheless, they were not insurmountable. Sometimes I took certain decisions that latter seemed precarious and destructive, but thanks to patience and critical thinking. I was always able to resolve matters that averted horrible conditions.

Conclusion

I argue that journalism students must be given the chance to do their internship at a newspaper; they will have more resources and more people to learn from, However it would be better for them to start at a fairly smaller newspaper, unless they are highly talented and more sophisticated.

My experience on a much bigger newspaper (Ghanaian Times) was invaluable though. But I think a smaller paper is more appropriate as a beginner because you work on the desk, designed Pages, cover politics, do movie and concert reviews. 

It is easier that one could become more suitable to get greater responsibilities sooner at a smaller paper. If you are a young reporter going into a large newsroom you will be competing for assignments with veteran journalists. It will be tougher for you to get a big story or hit the front page constantly.

I still think that Ghanaian Times continues to be a place with excellent learning opportunities. Therefore I recommends to Jayee University College, if given the chance once more, they should send their students there for higher learning.

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