Next Gen Internship: A Worthwhile Journey at the CJID

When I first walked into the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development in September, I was only a fresh college graduate with a faint understanding of the Media and Development space. However, my three-month experience in the organisation as a participant in its Next-Gen internship programme has broadened my knowledge of the industry and my career aspirations.

The internship gave me a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of the developmental works executed by the different programmes and projects that form the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development. In my first two months, I witnessed the planning processes of various events and capacity-building workshops. My third month, however, allowed me to witness the actual convening of these events. These events included the Media and Development Conference in November, the AI and Journalism Workshop held in November, and the Gender-Based Violence Reporting Workshop in December. These events featured enlightening conversations around several issues vital to the development of Africa’s ecosystem.

In these events, I served as a rapporteur for specific sessions, noting the important issues and recommendations highlighted by the panellists. The AI and Journalism Workshop, which convened Communication scholars and lecturers from different Nigerian institutions, particularly stood out for me. I saw lecturers express initial reluctance about the incorporation of AI into media studies due to concerns about unethical use, students’ overdependence on the technology, and a possible consequence of students’ limited cognitive ability. I also witnessed how they gradually accepted that there is an urgent need for Nigerian media studies to evolve alongside the rest of the world.

I think that conference gave me a feel of what some of the revolutionary summits and conferences I learned about in government classes looked like – initial discrepancies in dispositions, heated conversations, coming to a point of agreement, and then mapping out the way forward.

Other than my exposure to Media and Development practice, another part of this internship that I truly enjoyed was the opportunity to edit some articles by contributors to the Campus Reporter’s website. Of course, this was done under the supervision of my Project Officer. I loved every bit of the process, which allowed me to improve on and transform submissions into copies suitable for publishing.

Working in a multi-faceted organisation like the CJID gave me insight into various aspects of the development space in Africa, a better understanding of the issues that African countries face, and how the organisation addresses these issues. I also realised why professionals with varying expertise should collaborate to strengthen Africa’s democratic system.

All in all, it’s been a beautiful three months at the CJID. I’ve grown in my perspective of the world, and now have a strengthened passion to be more involved in the civic space and advocate for an equitable society. I’m grateful for an opportunity to work in a flexible workspace, with a high-flying team, and enjoy close mentorship.

On this note, I’d like to express my gratitude to the CJID for this opportunity and its overall investment in developing the Next Generation of Journalists and Media Practitioners. I’d also like to appreciate my team’s manager, Busola Ajibola, for her constant encouragement during the internship; Campus Reporter’s Project Officer (who served as my direct supervisor), Iretomiwa Dele-Yusuff, for guiding my task execution and for her constructive feedback. I also appreciate other team members, such as Christiana Longe, Osaruoanamen Ibizugbe, and Adebayo Aare, for letting me learn from them and for being so accommodating.

If I were to describe the past three months in a word, that word would be “worthwhile”.

Stella Adeniyi

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