The Lens Magazine Aug. 2017 | Page 72

The Soft Issue
August 2017
Story from Within
JOURNEY OF NO
DESTINATION
©Al-Faruq Akinwumi
By: James Jolayemi
I
t was time to gather news for the next edition of UNILORIN
watch. At the comfort of my room, alone with my thought,
the words of veteran journalist and one-time editor, Liad Tella
was enough to give strength to my feeble seed. Immediately,
I picked up my pen, the school identity card and my old poor
never die bag. This was how I embarked upon a journey without
a destination, sourcing for news around the area both far and
near.
It was during the school long break and students have gone
home except the very few who have things to do. Encouraging
myself with several reports and challenges faced by reporters
all said during one of the numerous Liad Tella’s class I attended,
especially not forgetting that little but ubiquitous “Chad
experience” the veteran journalist gave.
I was on the look for a few hours tossing here and there like a
hungry kidnapp er, finding someone to bless. I had wished that
my first reportorial assignment be better than this but it wasn’t
as there was no money to make it an interesting one. I could
only boast of a torn ten naira note in my pocket. As frustrated as
I was, I decided to be going home so as to get something to eat
and be prepared for the next.
I had made up my mind to go back home when the word “A
reporter without a news is nothing but a carpenter” rang in my
ears again. I could not cope with the state of the things and
didn’t want to go home without news because, that would only
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portray me as a bad reporter.
I was soliloquising even as I was fighting with this word intra-
personally. Could this be how tedious it would be to gather
news every day? I thought they said news is everywhere?
I was still asking myself these rhetorical questions when I
heard “All these roads are becoming deteriorated and our
government won’t do anything” a man who was angry at
the state of the Tanke road voiced out profusely.
The lines energised my spirit, awake my feeble emotion
and the words began to flow-in. I began to think of how I
can make bad road a good feature and news story with nice
pictures to authenticate it. I seized the moment to quickly
conduct an interview with the man. Thanks to my never
give up UNILORIN tablet that assisted me in recording but
gave me another big issue to worry about because of her
bad picture quality.
The pictures I took with the tab were all blurred and I knew
how important pictures are in newspaper. There was no
immediate solution to this un-expected enigma that stood
as an impediment to my story. After several shots of blurred
pictures, the story was enough to act as an antidote to my
swollen jaw and I decided to come back to take the picture
with a better camera the next day. I was on my way back
home when I said unconsciously “the end again, justified
the means”.
the
LENS