The Basic Skills Academy (BSA), which specialises in communications training, has announced its next programme tagged, “Online Reporting and Editing Clinic 2.0”. It is scheduled for four weekends beginning from Saturday, 17 September.
The intensive course, which essentially targets news media professionals, will cost each participant a heavily subsidised rate of N15,000.
According to the BSA’s Head Coach, Mr Femi Akintunde-Johnson, media enthusiasts who desire to enhance their skills in news gathering and editing; proofreading; headline casting; correct use of language; photography; and ethics, among other related specialities are the focus of the training programme.
He assured participants of having more than value for money. “At BSA, we have assembled a tested faculty of competent and committed professionals eager to pilot you through our specially designed modules for the next session of the Online Special Clinic on Digital Reporting and Editing”, he said.
The faculty is led by Akintunde-Johnson, famously known as FAJ. An editor of immense repute, he is an author and regular columnist in reputable news publications and had been editor and editor-in-chief in several media organisations, including Fame Weekly, National Encomium. His professional journey also led to the creation of the celebrated Fame Music Awards, REEL Awards and Awards for Musical Excellence.
FAJ is a language expert and an Associate Lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
In the faculty is Founder CEO of Pedigree and Style Media, Mr Tokunbo Ojekunle. Former General Manager at Radio Continental and also at Max FM, Ojekunle is a public speaking and presentation expert.
He has always brought his hands-on experience to bear on his sessions in the over four years of BSA.
Another regular member of the BSA faculty is the CEO/Lead Consultant of Leap Communications, Mr Muyiwa Akintunde. Before his venture into public relations, he was editor and reporter at many print media houses including The Guardian, Newswatch, UK-based pan-African magazine, Africa Today and Daily Times, among others.
He is the publisher of an ethically focused online newspaper, Breezy News.
Also in this session is an occasional coach at BSA, Barrister Richard Akinnola. A highly respected journalist and rights advocate, Akinnola is the Director of Abuja-based Media Law Centre.
What transformed into BSA started in January 2018 as an experimental programme. It was called “4-Week Free Basic Clinic”, which centred on Language Use and Reportorial Skills.
FAJ recalled: “We recorded surprisingly eye-opening results. The Clinics were well attended and embraced enthusiastically – with over 175 persons, mostly professionals, admitted into two sessions”.
He continued: “The outcome of these online interactions spanning 30 hours of rigorous but engaging interactions exposed to me the gaping gaps that we need to fill in the work ethics, capacity, techniques and adaptability of the Nigerian media operative, especially in the fast and furious relay of news occasioned by the new media.
“However, Language Use (or abuse) is beyond the confines of media operations; any person or organisation desirous of putting the right and proper leg forward should be concerned and confident about the quality of his/her/its operatives’ proficiency in communication skills. We have thus created numerous programmes and modules to meet the needs of diverse people and organisations”.
