By Jude Atupulazi and Oluwayemisi Olayinka
It was a weeklong visit by students of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, to Fides Media, as they sought to learn the various processes of newspaper production.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Fides premises were filled with the students who were taken round the various departments, with the workings of each explained to them.
Their first port of call was the Editorial Department where the Editor-in-Chief, Mr Jude Atupulazi, took them along the production process from the time of receiving news to the point where the paper is printed.
Atupulazi also charged them to read wide and know a little bit of everything and to be bold and inquisitive if they hoped to excel in the profession as future communicators.
For his part, a lecturer in the Mass Communication Department of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, Mr Victor Agusiobo, who was at Fides on a visit, lectured them on the basics of news reporting, equally urging them to read voraciously.
The Deputy Director of Fides Media, Fr Constantine Okoli, while addressing the students, advised them on the need to study well and be part of the change they wanted. Fr. Constantine also advised them to resist campus distractions but to remain focused.
Also during the visit, the Production Manager, Mr Alexander Johnson Adejoh, had a session with the students, telling them about the company as the Social Communications Directorate of the Awka Catholic Diocese and explained the different departments in the company and how they functioned.
Mr Adejoh gave the various sections at Fides to include, News and Editorial Department headed by the editor in Chief Mr Atupulazi; the Studio Unit which consists of photography, videography, content creation, photo-books, e.t.c., headed by Mr Rilwan Amos; Graphics Unit headed by Mr Ugochukwu Ezeukwu; and the Production Unit, headed by Mr Alexander Johnson.
Mr. Adejoh also advised them on the importance of social media and how powerful it was. He said people believed more what they saw on the social media than in the conventional media, noting that there was need for them to be abreast with happenings there and know how to use it positively.
Adejoh also encouraged the students to subscribe to the company’s social media handles as media houses rarely appreciated their staff members. He however noted that Fides Media, in a bid to satisfy its staff members with good salary had decided to monetize her social media page to generate revenue.
Two serving corps members at Fides, Miss Yemisi Olayinka and Miss Joy Denis, also shared experiences with the students, urging them to be focused and to take advantage of the changing times.
Mr Israel Ifeanyi lectured them on life streaming and how it worked after which the students were taken round the media house to see the different departments and how each department operated.
One of the students, Miss Emmanuella Ezenibe, said the visit offered them the opportunity to be up to date with the processes of newspaper production.
‘It was a nice experience. The people were nice and we enjoyed our visit,’ she said.
