I went to the editorial clinic recently; for a new routine checkup that I think is crucial as my news life matures.
When the News doctor took my blood pressure, he saw my newslife was low on curiosity, empathy, passion and focuss. He then got a thermometer and inserted it in my armpit. When he read my news temperature, the thermometer read 5 of warmth to the issues around me.
The news doctor ran an electrocardiogram and found that I needed several news bypasses, because my arteries were chocked with thoughtless, irrelevant, weak news angles.
I went to the orthopedics, because I could no longer walk by my people’s side and could not hug that ordinary man in my community anymore, partly because I had fractured myself rushing to grab the hundreds of event and handout stories.
The News doctor found out that I had become shortsighted, since I could not see beyond the police reports, thieves, parliament committees, court case sheets and what the people right in front of me were saying.
He told me I had become so myopic that way above and yonder lay marvelous ideas and if no remedy on my way, I would soon be so blind to all that is happening around me.
When I complained about the itching ears, the news doctor gave me a diagonistic showing that I had stopped listening to the issues that people in my own locality are talking about.
For all this, the news doctor did all these tests free of charge.
I pledged that I will reflect on my news life and take the natural remedies.
• Every morning, wear a garment of smartness and take a glass of passion for a “striking story”.
• When heading to office, take one spoon of inquisitiveness and a curiosity tablet.
• Before the editorial, take three pills of courage; courage to take criticism, courage to accept what you don’t understand, and courage to always be ignorant of the issues around you.
• As you mix that cup of tea in the pantry, don’t forget to take glass of bright ideas.
• Every hour in the field, take a glass of quickness and patience, one tablet of pleasantness and a caplet of honesty.
• When back to the desk, take a dose of thoughtfulness and one spoon of questioning. “ why is my story relevant?”
• On your way back home, take a glass of reflection.
• When getting to bed, take to caplets of self consciousness.
Quote of the day
“ A journalist is someone who looks at the world and the way it works, Someone who takes a close look at things everyday and reports what he sees, someone who represents the world, the event for others. She cannot do her work without judging what she sees.” By: Marguerite Duras, Foreword, outside: selected writings.