In an effort to improve News writing and reporting skills amongst the journalism students at Mount Kenya University Rwanda (MKUR): particularly those writing for the online magazine, KT Press Rwanda and The New Times Rwanda assigned students mentors.
On Saturday 5th, November 2022 a team of two members; Mr. TABARO Jean De La Croix – KT Press and Mr. James MUNYANEZA – The New Times Rwanda started their mentorship program with a group of students from the Magazine club.
While speaking to the students, Mr. James Munyaneza who is the acting Managing Director and Editor in Chief at New Times Rwanda urged students to always be passionate, patient and consistent while writing and reporting news.
He shared his experience of how he started working at the New Times at a young age balancing both school and news reporting yet still able to come up with 47 stories in a month.
“There’s no greater motivation than growth, find your space and strength and grow in it”, James told the students.
He further urged students to always ask themselves “Now what?” whenever writing a story. “Never leave your story hanging, show the reader the value of what you have written about and how it will impact them.
Mr. Tabaro Jean De La Croix the Chief Editor from KT Press on the other hand encouraged students to always focus on issues and not people while reporting and writing their stories. “You are a wonderful team and you have inspired me a lot, you have the potential and I’m so excited to be working with you”.
Mr. Tabaro Jean De La Croix while addressing the students
Expected to run for a period of five years (up to 2026), the mentorship programme is aimed at helping students gain confidence and appropriate skills from professionals who have worked in the same field for years.
“It is an honor that our students are getting mentorship from people on the level of Chief Editors, we are looking forward to a good partnership with the two media houses and can’t wait to see our students do greater things in media”, Mr. Festus Irungu- Head of Mass Media Department in Mount Kenya University Rwanda.
The MKUR online magazine was launched in July, 2022 by the Rwanda Media Programme under FOJO Linnaeus University in partnership with PAX PRESS to use the art of writing, photography and storytelling as a way of inspiring future journalists.
