For Onyinyechi, walking into The Crest Newspaper for the first time was a moment filled with uncertainty. She came with her fingers crossed, unsure of what to expect or whether she would be accepted.
Today, as her internship comes to an end, that uncertainty has been replaced by a sense of purpose and gratitude.
Her experience reflects the journey of several interns whose time at The Crest has become more than an opportunity to gain professional experience. For them, it has been a period of learning, self-discovery, confidence-building and forming relationships.
For Kelechi, the journey to the newspaper began at a Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) conference he attended, where he heard about The Crest Newspaper.
His decision to make enquiries eventually brought him into contact with Mr Benjamin, the internship coordinator, whom, Kelechi said, represented the organisation well during their first interaction.
Having been taught the theoretical aspects of journalism in the classroom, Kelechi said his experience at the newspaper provided an opportunity to understand the profession beyond theory.
Covering an event on behalf of the organisation gave him first-hand experience of what being a journalist entails and helped him appreciate the realities of working in the field.
For Emmanuel, the experience meant leaving the Ministry of Information to intern at The Crest Newspaper. On his first day, however, it was not the work itself that caught his attention but the atmosphere within the newsroom.
“The first thing I noticed on my first day here was the cooperative environment,” he said.
Emmanuel had seen some of the interns before, outside the newspaper, and had formed certain impressions about them based on those encounters. But working closely with them gave him an opportunity to see beyond those initial assumptions.
Through their interactions and shared experiences, he realised that the perceptions he had formed in his mind did not truly represent who they were.
The experience allowed him to know them on a deeper level and appreciate them beyond the impressions he had previously formed.
For many of the interns, the newsroom gradually became more than a place where they came to learn the craft of journalism. It became a place where friendships and a sense of community developed.
Another intern by name, Perpetual said she would miss the interactions, conversations and togetherness that characterised their time there.
To her, the people she met had become “one big extended family.”
For MaryAnn, the experience brought her closer to her writing. Her time at The Crest encouraged her to embrace her writing skills and recognised the potential she had in the area.
The guidance of experienced journalists also contributed to the interns’ learning.
Peter particularly recalled Ms EnwongoAbasi Elisha and her passion for investigative journalism. Her dedication to the profession, he said, made his experience great and memorable.
For Ofonime, the internship brought a new level of confidence. She said her time at the newspaper strengthened her confidence in news writing while teaching her how to work excellently under pressure and meet deadlines.
The demands of the newsroom became part of the learning process, preparing her for the realities of professional journalism.
For Divine, however, the transformation was more personal.
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She said she did not realise when she had left her comfort zone. Looking back, she found that the experience had created space for her to discover parts of herself she had not previously had room to explore.
While the interns reflected on what the experience meant to them, Mr Kufre Etuk, Editor of The Crest Newspaper, offered a perspective from the other side of the newsroom.
According to Etuk, commitment and diligence are among the qualities that make an intern stand out. He noted that some of the interns demonstrated these qualities during their time at the organisation.
But beyond the work itself, Etuk said there was another important thing he wanted the interns to take away from their experience: networking.
He encouraged them to build meaningful professional relationships during their careers, noting that the connections made along the way can become valuable in the future.
For young people beginning careers in the media, Etuk also offered a simple piece of advice: “Let people know you for something.”
He emphasised the importance of consistency and discipline, qualities he considers essential for anyone seeking to establish a lasting career in the media.
His advice adds another layer to the interns’ reflections. While they speak of confidence, writing, deadlines, friendship and self-discovery, their coordinator points them towards the responsibility that comes with turning those lessons into a career.
From Onyinyechi’s crossed fingers on her first day to Divine’s discovery of parts of herself she had not previously explored, the interns’ experiences tell a story of transformation.
They arrived at The Crest Newspaper with different expectations, backgrounds and levels of confidence. They leave with practical lessons about journalism, stronger writing skills, greater confidence, new relationships and, for some, a clearer sense of purpose.
Their experience may have involved demanding deadlines, pressure and the steep learning curve of a real newsroom. But beyond the work, they found a community, discovered new abilities and gained lessons that could remain with them long after their internship ends.
For these young aspiring journalists, their time at The Crest may be coming to an end, but the lessons, relationships and sense of possibility they gained could be only the beginning.
