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Bit of a late start. (I blame dark forces, foreign detractors and three years of successive droughts)
Great to be here today.
My first thread will be on my first job; journalism.
Will start with my journey then a bit into where the profession is now. At least that’s the plan.
Great to be here today.
My first thread will be on my first job; journalism.
Will start with my journey then a bit into where the profession is now. At least that’s the plan.
So, how did I end up a journalist? Really by accident. But, back in high school, I used to write articles for the school magazine. Clever ploy to make sure that I was on the school bus to sport events. Seeing as I was generally rubbish at sports, I could be a ‘reporter’. Cunning
After high school, I left Kwekwe for Harare. I came to this city on a Tauya Luxury Tours Bus, on a windy June morning. A red satchel full of certificates, a walkman and casettes. Ended up studying journalism. I suspect I only picked the course that didn’t require Maths.
But I think it made sense. I always excelled at writing from primary school. In Grade 3, Fitchlea Primary, my teacher Ms Shultz put me in a creative writing special class. Which was fine as I had a terrible crush on her. Fine lady from Switzerland.
After college, my first job was at a financial magazine. It was by accident. Had gone to ZIANA to apply for attachment. Turned down. On the way down the stairs, saw a sign that said: “Financial Telescope”.
Turned out to be an obscure magazine. Run by a namesake, Rangarirai Shoko
Turned out to be an obscure magazine. Run by a namesake, Rangarirai Shoko
Shoko was the first guy to teach me how to write a story. I count him among my mentors in the field. Will talk about each of them in this thread later. He is now, ironically, editor of New Ziana.
The magazine stuggled and later closed down. Economy was struggling. So I was unemployed, for quite a while. Nobody took freelance journalists seriously then.
But let me tell you about financial journalism. Like I said it was all accidental to end up writing business. But I immediately loved it. This was the time the economy was crashing majorly and there was some demand for economic reporting, even then.
So, to learn, I used to go to the US Embassy’s USIS, the library they had in town. I would spend hours reading copies of Wall Street Journal, NY Times etc. I would, shamelessly, copy all those stock market reports and pretend they were about the Zim Stock Exchange. Funny.
I noticed that, apart from FinGaz, there wasn’t much stock market coverage elsewhere. Figured this could get me a job. So I started writing stock market reports and taking them to newspapers looking for work. Daily News was the biggest paper then. They said “nah. Here”.
Me:
Me:
And then The Standard.
I would write articles and take them to the paper.
Enter my mentor Number 2: David Masunda, Deputy Editor then.
He gave me a chance. Added me to his team.
“You write differently,” he said.
Job!
He trained me. A lot. On writing analysis.
I would write articles and take them to the paper.
Enter my mentor Number 2: David Masunda, Deputy Editor then.
He gave me a chance. Added me to his team.
“You write differently,” he said.
Job!
He trained me. A lot. On writing analysis.
David Masunda used to write the Woodpecker column in the Standard. He used satire and humour to mock our country’s gallant leadership.
“Ranga,” he would say. “Some of you guys are too serious in your writing. Laughing at leaders is the best way to show how foolish they are”
“Ranga,” he would say. “Some of you guys are too serious in your writing. Laughing at leaders is the best way to show how foolish they are”
He also taught me: “Always leave yourself out of the story. Readers care about the story. Not you”.
Mentorship is so important in journalism, as it is in any profession I guess.
Young journalists need to understand that. Nobody knows everything. Even seniors.
Mentorship is so important in journalism, as it is in any profession I guess.
Young journalists need to understand that. Nobody knows everything. Even seniors.
After Standard, I left for FinGaz. Of course, every financial journo thought of FinGaz as the mecca of the trade.
Enter Mentor Number 3: Sunsleey Chamunorwa. What a character.
Enter Mentor Number 3: Sunsleey Chamunorwa. What a character.
Chamu was quite an editor. On deadline, Wednesdays, he would have Castle Lagers in his office.
He was also obsessed with reggae music, as I was. So I would be detained in his office debating important stuff; like his fave Beres Hammond (hello @EverjoiceWin)
He was also obsessed with reggae music, as I was. So I would be detained in his office debating important stuff; like his fave Beres Hammond (hello @EverjoiceWin)
One key story at Standard and FinGaz was covering the banking crisis. Gono was shutting down banks. It was an important story to cover. It taught me quite a lot. And I want to give an example.
When Trust Bank was shut down, Gideon Gono announced that it was because they used people’s money to “buy bricks”. It was a sensational story. People were mad. How could Nyemba and his thugs steal our money and buy bricks? Newspapers ran with it. The claim seemed true.
And then, by some fortune, I came across some papers that showed that the bank had in fact been affected by some “Grain Bills”, GMB paper. RBZ had failed to oay the bank.
As for bricks? The bank had only bought shares in Willdale, a brick company, to hedge against inflation
As for bricks? The bank had only bought shares in Willdale, a brick company, to hedge against inflation
I learnt then never to follow the popular line on a story. Especially if that line is being sold by a politician or official, of whatever type and persuasion. Journalism is not stenography. There’s always an agenda. “He said, she said” isn’t enough.
Enter Mentor 4: Edna Machirori.
She taught me how to write commentary.
“Yes, it’s an opinion. But it must be based on facts and reason. I’m not having you write an opinion saying you rode a horse to work. It’s an opinion piece. But did you ride a horse to work?”
Death stare!
She taught me how to write commentary.
“Yes, it’s an opinion. But it must be based on facts and reason. I’m not having you write an opinion saying you rode a horse to work. It’s an opinion piece. But did you ride a horse to work?”
Death stare!
So, to end this thread, all I’m saying is mentoring is important. At various stages, I got great mentors who taught me different aspects of the trade, shaped me differently.
Shoko taught me news and writing. A reuters man, he preferred “clean copy with no needless waffle”
Shoko taught me news and writing. A reuters man, he preferred “clean copy with no needless waffle”
David Masunda’s mentorship taught me using stuff like humour and satire as a tool. I also learnt this from Sam Munyavi, without him knowing. My fave columnist ever. RIP
Blogged on Sam here: https://rangamberi.tumblr.com/post/124650114754/dear-sam-munyavi-thank-you-for-the-lack-of
Blogged on Sam here: https://rangamberi.tumblr.com/post/124650114754/dear-sam-munyavi-thank-you-for-the-lack-of
At FinGaz, Sunsleey taught me to write as expressively as I want.
“A pen is like Peter Tosh and his guitar. He played however he wanted. To hell.”
“A pen is like Peter Tosh and his guitar. He played however he wanted. To hell.”
Edna Machirori taught me how to edit a paper. How to lead a newsroom when I was News Editor of FinGaz.
“Not all reporters can be good editors. Only those with clear heads” she’d say.
Owe a lot to that woman.
More on her here: https://www.iwmf.org/community/edna-machirori/
“Not all reporters can be good editors. Only those with clear heads” she’d say.
Owe a lot to that woman.
More on her here: https://www.iwmf.org/community/edna-machirori/
End of thread. Will return later with a take on PR, the detour I took after journalism.
Questions welcome.
But not taking any questions from dark forces and detractors. You can go ask your foreign funders.
Questions welcome.
But not taking any questions from dark forces and detractors. You can go ask your foreign funders.
