Journalism: not as easy as you think

My name is Emelia Kambuta.

I am a third-year student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), where I am pursuing a degree in journalism and media technology.

As a journalism student, I have become an open-minded individual.

Journalism is all about creating a friendly and trusting environment to help facilitate drawing information from people.

Through my junior years at the university, I struggled with public speaking. But our lectures gave us field assignments that required us to venture into communities and interview people.

In the field, while carrying out the assignment, I learned to be confident while speaking to people and to hold them accountable to get the information needed.



Tough job

The positive part of being a journalist is that you are exposed to a wide variety of information and experiences and you can travel a lot.

I have met people I never thought I would be in the same room with.

Being a journalist means having access to a lot of information.

Journalism is one of the most stressful occupations in the world. I am speaking from experience. Each and every day, you are required to file at least three stories. The biggest challenge that I faced during my time as a journalism student was identifying stories.



Hard road

Being a journalism student requires more effort and time with your modules in order for you to pass. People often think that journalism is an easy course, but they are wrong. Nothing is easy at higher institutions; all fields of study are the same, and it’s just how you approach your studies.

What helps me stay focused on my studies is that I am a well-organised person, and my education always comes first.

For anyone interested in pursuing a career in journalism: be prepared to receive what is handed to you and learn; create trustworthy sources; and adhere to deadlines because journalism is all about deadlines.