By: Folawunmi Muti'ah Olaniyan
Three ECHO MEDIA [a longest serving media outlet in AAUA] journalists of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, have been selected for the 2023 fellowship of the Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP).
The selected ECHO MEDIA journalists are Emmanuel Oluwadola, News Editor who was selected for the Disability and Inclusion category, Boluwatife Adedokun, Health Editor, and Mercy Abiodun, a reporter made the list for the campus journalism category.
Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals(AFYMP) is a funded media fellowship that includes in-person two days of intensive workshops, and 6 mentorship sessions for successful applicants across geo-political zones in Nigeria.
The categories of the fellowship which is in its second year are Media Entrepreneurship, thought leadership, and Niche building; Campus journalism: ethics, safety, fact-checking, and data-driven journalism; Women in Journalism, New Talents Development; and Disability and Inclusion.
According to AFYMP’s Executive Director, Yinka Olaito, this year's media fellowship is unique because the mentorship will spread for about six months.
Olaito maintained that the fellowship divided into four categories allowed participants to only apply for just one of the categories.
The in-workshops for all four categories will be held in four locations: Lagos, Ibadan, Owerri, and Port Harcourt with full transport fare which may be covered by the fellowship or be highly subsidized by AFYMP.
86 fellows across the countries were selected for the 2022 cohort with four AAUA students.
Speaking with ECHO MEDIA selected fellows expressed joy, stating that the fellowship would aid and broaden their knowledge in journalism.
Emmanuel Oluwadola who made the list of the first edition said the last cohort opened his eyes to a lot, saying he had been applying the knowledge gained in his journalism career.
Oluwadola who doubled as Vice-President Editorial of Nigeria Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ) AAUA chapter maintained that the saying 'No knowledge is lost' was not a mere saying as knowledge from the previous cohort had helped attain many positions and take up more roles.
Another selected campus journalist, Mercy Abiodun stated she would learn more and be exposed to a lot since AFYMP targeted raising the standard of young media professionals practices in Africa.
"It will equip me as an upcoming and young media professional in Africa Media Industry through learning, networking, skills development, and access to budding raw materials, among others," Abiodun added.
In the same vein, Boluwatife Adedokun told this reporter that her selection was an opportunity to learn from experts in the field.
"Learning from seasoned Journalists who have been on the field for the past few years, and the certificate will also help in future opportunities and I will have the chance to network with Campus Journalists like me, and the experienced ones."
In their admonishing, the fellows urged campus journalists to keep writing and not be discouraged by disappointments or setbacks.
"They should keep applying for fellowship programs and improve their writing skills by reading works of other journalists."
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