By Nura Valentiana Lorna and Jacintha Jolene
KUCHING: Journalists tell stories but to be able to carry a message effectively to the target audience, one must have certain inherent qualities.
The most basic requirement for a journalist is enthusiasm, said veteran journalist, Toman Mamora.
“That person must be interested in writing. Even if he doesn’t have the gift for words, that could be cultivated and developed over a period of time.
“But first you must have the interest.
“If you don’t enjoy writing, no matter how much information you acquire and absorb, you may find it difficult to put it into words,” he added.
Toman said one must also be keen and willing to open up as well as interact with people outside his or her familiar territory.
He noted that a good journalist must be able to communicate with people either through phone calls or face-to-face.
“Get along well with them.
“Or else it would be very difficult for you to get stories, develop your news angle and such.
“You may not be able to do your news if you are not the adventurous type, shy type and waiting for third parties to pass you a secondhand story.
“It doesn’t work that way.”
He stressed that one must work on a news item to earn his or her byline.
He said a journalist should be continually learning even as he or she processes news everyday.
“Every time you try to engage yourself trying to gather news and translate it into your story, you are learning.
“You will be asking questions,then you begin seeking clarification. And in the process, you are learning,” he said.
In the era of information technology (IT), he said everything could be done fast.
He added that one need not come back to the office to submit his or her news.
“Nowadays you can upload your story from wherever you are.
“You can dispatch your story fast,” he said, adding journalists will over the years train themselves to such a level.
“I mean, they will be able to send a clean story. Very little needs to be done in terms of editing.”
Toman who is now a Communication and Research Consultant stressed the need to train journalists to write a good story.
“Any young journalist should be pointed to a direction whereby eventually he or she will be able to write a story as though the story is already edited,” he said.
