SIWES REPORT FOR MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION TO SIWES

Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme was established by the Industrial training Fund (ITF) in 1973 with the aim of bridging the gap between the skills which the labour market required with that of those acquired by the graduate students.

Since its introduction by the ITF in 1973 the Scheme has gone through series of reforms. its management, for instance, has changed hands from the ITF to the various regulatory AGENCIES SUCH AS National Universities Commission (NUC) National board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for college of Education (NCCE) and now back to the ITF again.  These are the major stakeholders in (SIWES).

Consequently, SIWES Programme was introduced into the curriculum of tertiary institutions in the country as far back as 1974 with 748 students from 11 institutions of higher learning.

However, the scheme has over the years contributed immensely to the personal development and motivation of students to be able to understand the important connection between the taught and learnt content of their academic programmes and what knowledge and skill will be expected of them on professional practice after graduation.

Meanwhile, the need for students to possess adequate information on (SIWES) is further underlined by the fact that (SIWES) is a course of study that attract two, four and six credit units in Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities respectively, depending on the need attached to it by the institutions.

The availability of required information therefore, enhances the capacity of students to work for and earn the credit units allotted for SIWES, rather than wobbling through the training intervention because of lack of pertinent information.

1.2       ADVENT OF SIWES

In recognition of the short courses and weakness in the formation of Set graduates, particularly with respect o acquisition of relevant production skills, the industrial training fund established the students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in 1973.

The Scheme was designed to exposed students to the industrial environment and enable them develop occupational experiences so that they can readily contribute their quota to national economic and technological development after graduation.

Consequently, SIWES is a planned and structured programme based on stated and specific career objectives, which are geared toward developing the occupational competencies of participants.

1.3       OBJEC TIVES OF SIWES

The Industrial training funds policy document no. 1 of 1973, which established SIWES outline the objectives of the scheme.

The objectives are to:

1. Provide an avenue for students in institution of higher learning to acquire industrial skills and experience during their course of study.
2. Prepare students for industrial work situation that they are likely to meet after graduation.
3. Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and machinery that may not be available in their institutions.
4. Make the transition from school to the world of work carrier and enhances students contacts for later job placements.
5. Provide students with the opportunities to apply their educational knowledge in real work situations, thereby bridging the gap between theory and practical.

1.4       MISSION

SIWES: Is charged with the responsibility of promoting and encouraging the acquisition of skill, commerce and industry, with the view to generating a pool of trained indigenous manpower sufficient to meet the need of the economy.

SIWES, is aimed at developing the human resources of the nation.  It builds the nation’s work force to promote the economy of a nation.

1.5       VISION

The vision of SIWES is to prepare students to contribute to the productivity of their nation.

1.6       BENEFITS OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING TO STUDENTS

The major benefits accruing to students who participate conscientiously in industrial training are the skills and competencies they acquire.  This is because the knowledge and skill acquired through training by students are internalized, and it becomes relevant, during job performances or functions.

Several other benefits include:

1. Opportunity for students to blend theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom with practical hand-on application of knowledge required to perform work in industry.
2. Exposes students to the working environment, i.e. to enable them see how their professions are organized in practice.
3. Prepares students to contribute to the productivity of their employers and nation’s economy.
4. Provision of an enabling environment where students can develop and enhance personal attributes such as critical thinking, creativity, initiative, resourcefulness leadership, time management, presentation of skills and interpersonal skills.
5. Prepares students for employment and makes transition from school to the work environment easier after graduation.
6. Enables Students Bridge the gap between the acquired skills in the institutions and the relevant production skill required in the work organization.
7. Enhances students’ contact with potential employers while on training.

CHAPTER TWO

2.1       HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE NIGERIAN UNION OF JOURNALISTS

The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), was founded on March 15th 1955 in Lagos, the then Capital City of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.The union had some early nationalists with the fire of patriotism and nationalism burning in them and their writings included the first Governor General of Nigeria, the late Owelle of Onitsha, the Rt Hon (Dr.) Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first Premier of the defunct Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Alhaji Tafawa Balewa; the late Herbert Macaulay and Chief H. O. Davies who, with the launch of the Yoruba vernacular newspaper “Iwe Irohin ni Ede Yoruba”, founded by the late Rev. Ajayi Crowther in Abeokuta, in 1929, wrote powerfully, in their newspapers, columns on the need for Nigeria’s self-rule.The NUJ’s birth was linked to the struggle for the independence of Nigeria.

The struggle, it would be recalled gave birth to many protest groups, all yearning for the country’s independence from the British. The groups came in various shades. Some were political in nature, like the Nigerian Youth Movement, a platform for the nationalists. Others were trade unions and professional groups. It was established by some early Nationalists for an independent Nigeria via the power of the pen.

However, between 1961-1969,the union failed to operate as a trade union and this lead to the union’s name being removed from the list of the registered trade unions One of the observations of the Abiodun Panel in the Restructuring of Trade Unions was the lack of wherewithal as a union and this led to the demand that full time staff of all trade unions must have some trade union experience and also be imbued with the knowledge of the industry in which they operate Between 1961 – 1969 the Union’s name was struck out from the list of the registered Trade Unions, this was because the Union had failed to operate as a trade Union. Attempts to reregister the union was embarked upon in 1973 but failed due to some changes in the law system.

The union remained de-registered and operated as a mere professional body till 1977 when the Abiodun Trade Union Restructuring Panel embarked on the industrialization of trade unions in the country. The NUJ would have missed the opportunity but for the efforts of some journalists in Lagos and the old Western Region who used the pages of their newspapers to draw attention to the NUJ. Through their efforts, the NUJ and other unions which had been deregistered before the exercise were included and got carried along in the Abiodun programme. Alhaji Lateef Jakande facilitated the early launch of the second council and he is involved in the lagos union.

The union now operates 37 state councils, eight zones, 740 chapels and affiliate bodies like Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) with the headquarters at the Federal Capital Territory which serves as the national secretariat. Before the 1977 amendments and the appointment of fulltime national secretary, the union operated a mobile secretariat whereby the secretary resided there, the secretariat was located.

Mission And Vision Statement

Journalism entails a high degree of public trust. To earn and maintain this trust, it is morally imperative for every journalist and every news medium to observe the highest professional and ethical standards. In the exercise of these duties, a journalist should always have a healthy regard for the public interest. Truth is the cornerstone of journalism and every journalist should strive diligently and every journalist should strive to ascertain the truth of every event.

Responsibilities and Duties of Journalists

Conscious of the responsibilities and duties of journalists as purveyors of information, we, Nigerian journalists, give to ourselves this Code of Ethics. It is the duty of every journalist to observe its provisions.

1. Editorial Independence: Decisions concerning the content of news should be the responsibility of a professional journalist.
2. Accuracy And Fairness: The public has a right to know. Factual, accurate, balanced and fair reporting is the ultimate objective of good journalism and the basis of earning public trust and confidence. A journalist should refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information. Where such information has been inadvertently published, prompt correction should be made. A journalist must hold the right of reply as a cardinal rule of practice.In the course of his duties a journalist should strive to separate facts from conjecture and comment.

• Privacy: As a general rule, a journalist should respect the privacy of individuals and their families unless it affects the public interest.

1. Privilege / Non-Disclosure: A journalist should observe the universally accepted principle of confidentiality and should not disclose the source of information obtained in confidence.
   ii. A journalist should not breach an agreement with a source of information obtained as “off-the-record” or as “background information.”
2. Decency: A journalist should dress and comport himself in a manner that conforms with public taste. A journalist should refrain from using offensive, abusive or vulgar language.
   A journalist should not present lurid details, either in words or picture, of violence, sexual acts, abhorrent or horrid scenes. In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries should be carried out and approaches made with sympathy and discretion. Unless it is in the furtherance of the public’s right to know, a journalist should generally avoid identifying relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused of crime.
3. Discrimination: A journalist should refrain form making pejorative reference to a person’s ethnic group, religion, sex, or to any physical or mental illness or handicap.

• Reward And Gratification: A journalist should neither solicit nor accept bribes, gratifications or patronage to suppress or publish information. To demand payment for the publication of news is inimical to the notion of news as a fair, accurate, unbiased and factual report of an event.
• Violence: A journalist should not present or report acts of violence, armed robberies, terrorist activities or vulgar display of wealth in a manner that glorifies such acts in the eyes of the public.

1. Children And Minors: A journalist should not identify, either by name or picture, or interview children under the age of 16 who are involved in cases concerning sexual offences, crimes and rituals or witchcraft either as victims, witnesses or defendants.
2. Access Of Information: A journalist should strive to employ open and honest means in the gathering of information.
3. Public Interest: A journalist should strive to enhance national unity and public good.

• Social Responsibility: A journalist should promote universal principles of human rights, democracy, justice, equity, peace and international understanding.
• Plagiarism: A journalist should not copy, wholesale or in part, other people’s work without attribution and/or consent.
• Copyright: Where a journalist reproduces a work, be it in print, broadcast, art work or design, proper acknowledgement should be accorded the author. A journalist should abide by all rules of copyright, established by national and international laws and conventions.

1. Press Freedom And Responsibility: A journalist should strive at all times to enhance press freedom and responsibility.

2.2       ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS

There is a range of national councils below the NEC, covering different sections and areas of activity. There is an industrial council for each of the NUJ’s “industrial” sectors – Newspapers and Agencies, Freelance, Magazine and Book, Broadcasting, New Media and Press and PR.

1. NUJ newspapers and agencies: This represents all journalists, including reporters, photographers, sub-editors, content managers, multi-media workers, editors and deputies. The newspapers and agencies industrial council (NAIC) consists of union representatives from these areas and aims to promotes and supervise negotiations and agreements with individuals or groups of employers on employment-related issues in the sector. The council acts as an advisory committee to the NEC – members can contact their council representative and ask for assistance and the council can make representations to the NEC.
2. Freelance industrial council (FIC): Freelance Industrial Council members are elected from geographical constituencies, including continental Europe, so every freelance has a representative voice from their area.
3. The Magazine and Book industrial council: The NUJ is the right union for everyone who works in magazine publishing, including reporters, editors, copywriters, sub-editors, web editors and graphic designers. This means people who are eligible to join the union may be working as a freelance for a small specialist title, be fully employed by one of the few remaining giants, such as Emap or IPC Media, or starting up their own magazine. The Magazine and Book Industrial Council (MABIC) promotes and supervises negotiations and agreements with individuals or groups of employers dealing with wages and conditions of employment and allied problems – including the promotion of vocational training – in the magazines and books sectors. MABIC functions as an advisory committee to the NEC and has the right to make representations to the NEC.
4. The broadcasting industrial council: The NUJ represents journalists throughout the broadcasting industry, from reporters to producers, editors and online journalists, in radio and television. The broadcasting industrial council (BIC) promotes and supervises negotiations and agreements with individuals or groups of employers on wages and conditions of employment and allied problems – including the promotion of vocational training – in the broadcasting sector. BIC recruitments and organises activities in the sector. It acts as an advisory committee to the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) and can make representations to the NEC.
5. New media industrial council: New media for the NUJ includes everyone editing, producing content, design or front-end coding for websites, mobile phones and other interactive platforms. The union also covers those working in social media as community organisers or content producers. The New Media Industrial Council (NMIC) promotes and supervises negotiations and agreements with individuals or groups of employers on wages and conditions of employment and allied matters – including the promotion of vocational training – in the new media sector. NMIC also functions as an advisory committee to the NEC and has the right to make representations to the NEC.
6. The Public Relations & Communications industrial council: The Public Relations & Communications Industrial Council (PRCIC) promotes and supervises negotiations and agreements with individuals or groups of employers on wages and conditions of employment and allied problems – including the promotion of vocational training – in the PR and communications sector. PRCIC carries out recruitment and organisation activities within the two sectors. It functions as an advisory committee to the NEC and has the right to make representations to the NEC.
7. Photographer Council: The union can also provide advice on contracts and training as well as the chance to meet other NUJ members and be part of a larger community of photographers fighting to defend the profession. The NUJ represents freelance photographers, staff photographers and videographers. Some of the issues NUJ photographers face include:

• fair rates for sale of images, low shift and image rates and companies attempting to get photographers to work for no pay
• attacks on copyright and contractual rights
• restrictions on the right to photograph and record
• press freedom and obstruction, harassment, assault and/or arrest of photographers and videographers.

CHAPTER THREE

3.1       INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM

Journalism is increasingly becoming a difficult concept to define and delineate because of some contemporary developments having direct effects on its practice. The twenty – first century invention of the new media, especially the internet, has revolutionized and redefined the scope and practice of journalism all over the world. The emergence of the concept of ‘Citizen Journalism’ has compounded the problems of; first who is a journalist, second, what is journalism, third, what are the ethical requirements for the practice of journalism, fourth, what are the roles expectation of journalists and journalism profession in the society, as well as many other questions begging for attention and answers.

However, regardless of the seemingly nebulous outlook of journalism in the contemporary time, journalism is concerned with the gathering, processing and dissemination of information regarded as important and critical to the operations of the different components of the society.

Journalism refers to the process of “gathering, evaluating and distributing  facts of current interest”. The professional norms of good journalism include, in particular, the following; truthfulness, objectivity, neutrality and detachment

            Responsibilities of Journalists

1. To serve the political system by making information, discussion and consideration of public affairs generally accessible.
2. To inform the public to enable it to take self determined action.
3. To protect the rights of the individual by acting as watchdog over the government.
4. To serve the economic system, for instance the bringing together buyers and sellers through the medium of advertising.
5. To provide good entertainment, whatever “good” may mean in the culture at any point in time.
6. To preserve financial autonomy in order not to become dependent on special interests and influences

3.2       FEATURE WRITING

Features are not meant to deliver the news firsthand. They do contain elements of news, but their main function is to humanize, to add colour, to educate, to entertain, to illuminate. They often recap major news that was reported in a previous news cycle. Features often:

• Profile people who make the news
• Explain events that move or shape the news
• Analyze what is happening in the world, nation or community
• Teach an audience how to do something
• Suggest better ways to live
• Examine trends
• Entertain.

Characteristics of a Feature Article

Feature articles:

• Contain depth of characters and/or issues, offering background information about the subject.
• Are usually timeless- they are just as acceptable for publication this week or next month.
• Provide more detail often including more research.
• Provide the reader with an understanding of the writer’s attitude towards his/her subject matter with the careful use of tone.
• Provide a forum for ideas, attitudes, reasons, feelings and background.

Structure of Feature Articles

The ‘Write-off’ or ‘Stand first’ in a Feature article needs to capture the reader’s attention immediately and then the lead or introduction must maintain it. The elements required to produce a successful Feature article are a lead, a body and a conclusion.

Leads: A successful lead will accomplish three objectives:

1. Attract the reader.
2. Give the reader the central idea.
3. Lead the reader into the story.

Transitions

• Good transitions in feature writing mean that one paragraph moves smoothly to the next one.
• Good transitions work by repeating a word, phrase or idea that has been used in the paragraph immediately before.

Endings

• The conclusion often connects with an idea that has been developed in the lead, or it can in some way summarise the main points of the article.
• The conclusion is often structured in the same way as the lead as it refers to the angle presented in the introduction. This technique is referred to as the ‘lead replay’.
• Often at the end of a Feature article the writer will provide relevant information about that subject of the Feature, giving interested readers links to contact groups ‘…opens on Thursday’.

Types of Leads 

1. Description: Descriptive leads often focus on what it feels like to be at an event by highlighting the sights, sounds, textures, tastes and smells that evoke clear images in the mind of the reader.
2. Direct Address: This is when the writer tries to engage the reader immediately. This can be done by asking questions or asking the reader to imagine something in particular. It is as though the writer is expecting some direct responses from the reader.

Shocking Statement

• This type of lead is also known as “the teaser”.
• A shocking or striking statement is one that will produce a strong response in the reader. Often it will challenge some accepted belief, or simply be provocative. Statistics are often effective.
• It involves the reader by building suspense before revealing the focus of the story.

Narrative

• The narrative lead tells a story.
• Sometimes a short piece, often from the writer’s own experience, will lead the reader into the article.
• Though it is also descriptive, the narrative lead is more like a play with a scene characters and dialogue.

Quotation: A relevant and effective quotation can introduce the reader to the theme of the article. The quote should compel the reader to go further into the story.

Question: Should be used only when the question relates directly to the Feature angle and compels the reader to seek the answers further in the story. Unfortunately, most question leads can be answered with another question.

3.3       LANGUAGE AND GRAMMATICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FEATURE ARTICLES

            Paragraphing

• Paragraphs of one to four sentences are used in newspaper feature articles.

            Quotations

• Inverted commas indicate direct quotations.
• Quotes from eyewitnesses, sources or experts are included in the text.

Registered

• Individual speakers who are quoted in a Feature article often use emotive language.
• Feature articles are more creative in the use of language than a news report, often using emotive language.
• Feature articles contain objective material but often appeal to emotions.

Key Words

• The vocabulary includes many words that relate to the specific subject discussed.
• An extensive written vocabulary is used.
• Contractions are often used to create a “chatty/informal” person-to-person tone.

Subject Matter Of Feature Articles 

Feature Articles are usually longer than News Reports and Columns are written about a range of topics including:

• Society
• Health
• Food
• Politics
• Entertainment
• Individuals
• The Environment
• Sport
• Economics
• Current Issues

Layout of Feature Articles

• Each Feature article has a headline.
• Feature articles generally include a synopsis as part of the byline. The synopsis provides the reader with information about the content of the text. It is known as a ‘Write of’ of ‘Stand first’.
• Feature articles include a byline. The byline states the name of the writer. This is often part of the ‘Write off/ Stand first’
• A photograph, graphics, illustration or cartoon usually accompanies feature articles.
• The text is written in column format.
• A Break Out Box may support feature articles. A Break Out Box appears next to the news report and provides readers with related factual information about the topic. Information in the Break Out Box includes the use of technical terms, explanations, graphics and statistics.
• Several types and sizes of fonts are used.
• Colour is often used in either the headline and/or photograph(s).
• Feature articles are usually much longer than news reports and may or may not be linked to a current “hard news” event.