When passing through the university, let the university pass through you is a dictum that has now become a cliché. Yet, this point can never be overemphasized. Many enter the university (or any higher institution of learning for that matter) without any clear cut sense of direction on what the future holds. This is especially true of our contemporary society which places premium value on certificates at the expense of the content of the holder. The situation is not helped by the defectiveness of the institutions’ curricula which are at best dolefully out of tune with the society’s realities. Hence, one sure way an undergraduate can make the best out of their university education is active participation in campus journalism.
Being a campus journalist provides an avenue to concretely practice truth, fairness and balance. These are value taught better by experience and supplemented by the classroom. As a campus journalist, you safeguard democracy at the campus level and provide the student readers a deeper perspective on things that happen under their noses.
It’s a common misconception that all students who are involved with student media are dead set on a career in journalism. While this may be true in some cases, skills like working to a deadline and conducting an interview will prepare you for a range of career paths. Meeting new people, especially people you wouldn’t normally come across, can be rewarding in itself.
Advantages embedded in being a campus journalist
Below are some of the advantages of being a campus journalist:
1. Source of moulding opinions among the generation of the future leaders:
Since it is the duty of pressmen to set agenda for discussion among the populace, the campus journalists too have that singular honour of being the opinion moulders in their campus. They give insights into various issues and offer their readers different perspectives to phenomena.
2. Development of writing skill:
It can never be overemphasized that the key to perfect writing is continuous practice. Practice makes perfect, the old saying goes. Campus journalism provides the avenue for students to develop their writing skills. Through the corrections made by the editor as well as the criticisms of the general public, the writer will be prompted to improve their writing skills.
3. Rise to stardom:
Campus journalism is one of the many ventures that create avenues for students to rise to stardom on campus. A good writer will easily attract notice and admiration of their colleagues and other members of the university or college community.
4. Opportunity to connect with different people:
In a society like ours that has an alarming socio-economic challenge of unemployment to contend with, what becomes the most potent survivalist strategy is connections with various personalities. Being a campus journalist is a great opportunity to meet and interact with different people of varying backgrounds. It solidifies friendship and creates chances of being successful in life.
5. Training ground:
Campus journalism is an essential training ground for those who have ambition to become practicing journalists in the future. Journalism students especially through campus journalism have the best opportunity to put what they are being taught in class to practice.
6. Enhancement of academic study:
Campus journalism is unarguably a perfect complement to academic study. Since writing, together with reading, is the major activity of a scholar, the vocation of campus journalism enhances those skills immaculately. Likewise for some, writing is a hobby. Being a campus journalist gives such people more leisure time.
7. Correction of societal ills:
It is a truism that our society is being plagued with various various ills of different kind. The ills range from corruption, armed robbery, drug trafficking, child abuse, bad governance, and many more. The university being a microcosm of the larger society has its own peculiar ills like gangsterism (in the form of cultism), indecent dressing, stealing, prostitution, sex for mark, in addition to the many societal realities being witnessed on our university campuses. The way to curbing such anti-social attitudes is beginning the campaign against the acts from the campuses. Which organ can best be entrusted with such a noble cause if not campus journalism. Bad leadership in particular is key area campus journalism must be ready to combat for the profession of pen remains the conscience and consciousness of the society.
8. Big opportunity for career diversification:
Many a person has become a mainstream journalist because of their venture into campus journalism. The writer means those who studied nothing related to journalism at all in university or college.
Apply to join myJCR.com today
If you have interest in campus journalism, click on the link below and fill the form. A representative will contact you at the appropriate time.
myJCR application form
