Newspaper Columns

THIS is the foundational point— every other thing rests on it. What is the capacity of your vocabulary? Do you have a rich store of words? Is your pool of phrases and expressions deep? How is your mastery of communication principles? Can you read at least one book in a month? Can you write a clinical 1,000- word analysis or editorial on any given topic within 60 minutes? When and where can colleagues of yours bank on your professional capabilities and skills? The only way to measure your competency in information gathering, management and dissemination is to score at least 50 per cent in each of the foregoing posers. Anything short of that margin is sub- standard and demands improvement.

There are six categories of readers: ( A): Those who read at least a book in a month; ( B): Those who read at least a book in three months; ( C): Those who read at least a book in six months; ( D): Those who read at least a book in nine months; ( E): Those who read at least a book in a year; and ( F): Those who do not read at all! Where do you belong? This is at the heart of vocabulary buildup. For instance, if you need to be a referential fellow in journalism, you must read— it is not optional. Otherwise, you are confined to journalistic artisanship! Writing is not mechanistic. It is architectural in nature: it must be planned, organised and systematically presented.

You must have a mini- library at home and in the office indispensably containing at least a current dictionary, thesaurus, Bible/ Quran ( for spiritual regeneration), and a modern book of quotations. These are companionable materials. You must study ( peruse)— not just read— them daily, morning and night.

Learn at least a new word ( and its synonyms) or phrase or idiomatic expression each day x 7 x 30 x12 = work it yourself! Familiarize yourself with each addition: as much as possible scarcely employ those you have internalized over time. Let your writings exude novelties and freshness ( the difference should be that between crisp and worn- out notes).

Listen to good speakers on radio and TV. Attend colloquia, conferences, symposia, seminars, workshops, short- term courses and any other cerebral meeting. Participation in these sessions adds immeasurable value to your overall scope and knowledge base. Do not wait for your employers to send you or depend on external intervention ( sponsorship). No, invest in yourself, periodically!

Network reasonably and leverage all its concomitants. Good writing skill is a function of self- development and commitment to cerebral matters. Nobody can do it for you.

For inexplicable reasons, some expressions have become institutionalized in this part of the world and rabidly known as Nigerian English. This is unacceptable in any formal/ standard writing. Somewhat, these informal collocations creep into the print and electronic media. In fact, it is so bad that at times purists begin to doubt themselves because of the ubiquity of these informal creations! Newspaper language is elevated, formal and standard. Any other entry outside this is colloquialism and should not be allowed in a soar- away market leaders like DAILY SUN or even provincial publications, for that matter. The audiences of your racy medium comprise the elite in business, governance, politics and the academia. You cannot afford to be like the floundering, ragtag media outlets on the fringes. I have an attachment of some of the ‘ Nigerian English’ oddities. The list is inexhaustive— you should be able to add as many as possible!

You must develop yourself in such way that you become critical of any written work, no matter the author or the apparent perfection. Once you attain this level, it becomes easier to spot blunders and improve on even well- written materials. To reach this height will require compliance with the foregoing and other germane issues that are not captured here.

We must be conversant with new media technologies and their usages: Google, Yahoo, Dictionary. com, Answers. com, social network sites and other online portals too numerous to be mentioned here. Conventional communication methodology is giving way to this latest technological onslaught.

Your choice of words, their organization and your style determine your