Next Gen Intern Diary: The Teamwork Behind Publishing Newspapers

My second month as an intern under the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development’s (CJID) Next Gen Internship Programme has been both eye-opening and enlightening. Having spent years practising journalism on campus and engaging in independent reporting after graduation, I have found this period particularly valuable because it has exposed me to the inner workings of a print newsroom and broadened my understanding of how journalism is practised in a professional setting.

The month began with a field reporting assignment that took me to the streets of Ibadan on June 1, where residents staged a protest over the abduction of over 46 people, including teachers and schoolchildren, in communities within Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The demonstration had participants from different parts of the city, all united by concern over the security situation and the fate of the victims. Covering the protest gave me another opportunity to sharpen my reporting skills as I interacted with demonstrators, gathered perspectives from residents, and documented their demands for urgent intervention by government authorities. 

I also continued learning about newsroom operations and newspaper production at Nigerian Tribune. One aspect of the experience I particularly enjoy is observing how different sections of the organisation work together to produce a newspaper. It has been fascinating learning about the responsibilities of the three editors who oversee the different publications: Debo Abdulai, the Daily Editor; Lasisi Olagunju, the Saturday Editor; and Sina Oladeinde, the Sunday Editor. Messrs Olagunji and Oladeinde have especially provided opportunities for engaging conversations about newsroom culture, editorial decision-making, and the responsibilities that come with producing a publication that reaches thousands of readers.

Another lesson I have learnt is the level of organisation and specialisation that exists within a print newsroom. Reporters are assigned specific pages and beats and have become highly adept at preparing content for those sections. These pages range from news, politics, economy, and crime to features such as Exquisite, Achievers, Weekend Lagos, and Vox Pop. Watching reporters consistently develop content for their pages has helped me appreciate the discipline and routine required to sustain newspaper production week after week.

One of the highlights of the month was working closely with Kingsley Alumona, a veteran member of the Tribune newsroom who oversees pages such as Exquisite, Vox Pop, and Achievers. Under his guidance, I participated in producing Vox Pop features, including one that captured public thoughts and expectations regarding the recent leadership reshuffle at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). I also worked on a lighter Vox Pop feature exploring football fans’ preferred host countries for the FIFA World Cup. 

Another aspect of the newsroom experience I enjoy is spending time in the computer room, where stories from reporters are processed and transformed into newspaper pages by graphic designers. Seeing the journey from a reporter’s draft to a finished newspaper page has given me a deeper appreciation of the collaborative effort behind newspaper production. It has also reinforced the fact that journalism in a print newsroom is not solely about reporting and writing; it is equally about editing, design, coordination, and teamwork.