Next Gen Internship: Learning to beat time without compromising accuracy, by Dauda Musbau

If there’s one thing I have learned during my internship at the Tribune Online, it’s that journalism is a race against time, not against accuracy.

As a journalist who was thoroughly bred in Campus Journalism at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), I always wanted to have stories that are well researched and perfectly written, which wouldn’t stress editors while working on them. 

However, I quickly realised that spending too much time on a piece could mean that other pieces would not see the light of day because it’s common to receive multiple story ideas in the newsroom with the intent that they will all be completed within the same timeframe.

I discovered that, in a bid to dig deeper for additional sources and background information, research used to take up most of my time. I had to learn that meeting deadlines is just as important as doing thorough research and reporting. I had to increase my speed but maintain accuracy.

To adapt and meet the deadline, I began to learn the newsroom workflow. Firstly, I started to identify the most credible sources, gather the key facts and start drafting. Secondly, I filled in additional context where necessary as I continued to write. This approach helps me to carry out research and write at the same time.

Speaking with my editor, Femi Akinyemi, also helped me a lot. Whenever I find it difficult to deliver on a particular story, he already sends me a direct message to give a thorough explanation on how to go about it. His feedback has helped me understand what’s good for publications and what could be developed later.

Some editors make the newsroom workable for the newbies, and one of them is Mr Akinyemi. Whenever I worked on important stories, he always came to my DM to say well done for the nice work. Things like that are not only a motivation but also a thumbs up that one is actually getting there.

I often read people’s write-ups about how consistency paid off until it recently happened to me. I received an email from Action Network, an international platform covering sports. 

I was firstly recognized for being one of those who have covered pre-World Cup detailed analysis of players and the teams. The organisation, since then, has frequently sent me data about players and the World Cup statistics to use in my subsequent stories.

Ultimately, I sincerely want to appreciate the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) for the great opportunities it gave me as an intern.