By Franklin Awori Obudo
News/Feature Writer, The East African Standard
Kisumu, Kenya

Do I feel challenged; of course I do. Do I feel inspired; of course I do. I'm a better writer now; time will tell.

The last six months have been the most humbling period in my journalism career and probably the most challenging.

The program has opened my eyes to aspects of writing that I knew little about. For once, in my seven year journalism career, I felt like a toddler or to use journalistic jargon—a rookie.

My editors back home made me feel I was a good writer. Probably I was. My stories were rarely subjected to a vigorous top-down editing process.

Editors rarely challenged every single word and sentence. That made me feel good but it also gave me a false confidence.

Here I was in Kansas City watching as my editors tore my writing to pieces. Asking probing and prodding questions: “For whom are you writing and what is the story all about?” They taught me how to question myself, to challenge my writing, to write tight, to test every single word in my story, to write fast and hard. I learned that it was important to re-read my story and edit it thoroughly for clarity.

To always go back to my sources and ask about that small detail that I had left out. But more importantly, to get every single name right. I went to bed thinking of my stories, waking up at 2 a.m. to write down an intro that had flashed through my mind.

I saw the beauty of multi-sourcing. Your story gets credibility if it has several sources. That it’s lazy journalism to rely on a single source. And worse, to believe a single source.

These are lessons that one cannot learn in a classroom. No chalk and board can teach one to write tightly and that is the beauty of the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships. It’s practical and it’s real. Like music, the art of writing can be best learned through interacting with the best in the profession.

Experienced editors challenge you. You learn by seeing, by hearing and more importantly, by doing it yourself.

But my program was even more worthwhile because it was interspersed with writing seminars. In one of the seminars organized by Knight Ridder, I realized that nobody has the monopoly of ideas—that good writing requires patience and time.

The Star’s 30 junior writers, senior writers and editors, some with 25 years experience, talked about struggling with the lead, with story focus, with story organization and all aspects of writing.

I learned that journalism is serious business and it’s for serious people. I also learned that journalists have to conduct themselves with integrity to earn respect from their sources and readers.

I do believe that I have learned invaluable journalism lessons. These lessons will make me a better mentor in my newsroom. I’m in a better position now to coach interns and new reporters than I was when I left Kenya.

In the past I have been invited to give talks on journalism practice in media forums and schools. The experience here has widened my knowledge scope and will certainly add value and dimension to the various writing and reporting programs I’m involved in.

I could never have wished for a better media training program than Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship. It served my purpose and it served my dream. More important it tested my human ability, persistence and courage as a journalist. It’s a program I would recommend to journalists back home.