It is no secret that unemployment remains high among young people in this country and everywhere you go, you are rejected because of lack of experience. It’s also very true that there are places that will not even look the way of a young person seeking employment but The New Age does.
Having been one of 16 young people seeking employment in my desired career, I have learned to appreciate the opportunities given to me to get to where I am today. I have just done a six-month stint at its TNA Media Academy, and graduated to a job on the newspaper.
I grew up in a family of big dreamers, entrepreneurs, teachers and motivational speakers and all I’ve ever wanted was to tell their unique stories one by one.
My parents made sure that I knew at a very young age what I wanted to do after high school and researched my way into it.
Well, also because they wanted to make sure I get out of their house sooner but that’s a story for another day!
Having applied for jobs at many publications and media houses, The New Age was the only big publication that gave me a chance to better my journalism at the age of 24.
Their 2015 internship academy taught me that I could write better with the right support behind me.
I thought I could write until I got here. They taught me that writing is more than just putting pen on paper.
Being the newshound that I am, I am grateful for the opportunities given to me by a program that groomed me to now write front page stories.
For me, journalism is more than a passion, its a lifestyle.
Getting the opportunity to meet and speak to great speakers like Joe Thloloe, Thami Mazwai, Moegsien Williams, Jo Mdhlela (Cadet mentor) and many others that were brought to our class by the programme on a regular basis meant the world to the cadets.
The chances granted to me I cherish even today because many of my peers will never get to experience them.
I work as a crime reporter now at The New Age having graduated from the programme and I carried the lessons from there with me until now.
I enjoy the time I spend connecting with the people on the ground, those with real life stories and being a voice for the voiceless.
Believe it or not, the programme included more than writing. We were also taught how to report for TV at ANN7 and taught us how to work for the online team too.
They called it convergence and I LOVE IT.
I have never enjoyed the rush of chasing down stories that matter like I do since I enrolled for the academy.
I am thankful for to the academy for for giving me the practical skills to do my job.
I would never have had this experience if it wasn’t for the great opportunity given to me to learn in such a great environment.
TNA Media Academy which was launched in 2012 at a cost of R1-million to blood a new crop of journalists in a changing landscape. It is a joint initiative between the paper and TV news channel ANN7 and participants get to experience the inner workings of both print and broadcast journalism. More than 76 graduates have competed the 6-month course, which incorporates three months of theory and course work and three of practical work in the print and broadcasting newsroom. Many now can be found working at most of the country’s media houses.
