[By Emma McFarland]

I didn’t know what to expect when I found out that my five-week internship in Ghana would be with Joy Multimedia, of the Multimedia Corporation. I looked them up in search of some simple answer, but, instead, I was bombarded by the vast amount of media that falls within their reach.

As an independent news organization, Joy Multimedia is the largest commercial, media, and entertainment company in Ghana. They maintain and operate more than 600 employees, six radio brands, three online sites, and started Ghana’s first free multi-channel tv brand. All that to say: they do a lot.

After all that research I still wasn’t sure how I would fit into all they do. Now I (sort of) do. Here is what I did during my first week with Joy News:

Monday: Promoting the Presenters 

My initial thoughts upon opening my eyes in the morning were those of fear and panic. I was about to walk into a building where I know no one. Where no one would know me. There were going to be so many names to learn. What was I even going to be doing? If I could go back now and tell myself to calm the hell down— I would.

Our main goal from day one was to figure out how to get back from our internship. The entire cohort set out at 8 a.m. to load onto our bus and hand deliver each of us to our respective internships. This was going to be our last time traveling as a group to all of our destinations. Now, we were breaking up the band and setting off alone. But, also, we had phones with local numbers, so, really, we were only one frantic phone call away from our apartment.

I waved goodbye to my dwindling number of peers and headed inside with Leslie and Senyo. Then, I was alone in this new place.

I met everyone and everybody. I remembered (maybe) three names.

At noon, I met with the channel director to talk about my internship goals. I described my previous experience gained from classes and other passion projects. I talked about my adoration with production and my desire to get acquainted with the inner functionings of the newsroom.

Caleb and Newton, members of the production team, graciously let me shadow the filming and production process of a lifestyle advertisement for the news team. I got to experience the beautiful chaos of this style of production by wrangling reporters together between their segments, holding the boom mic, and controlling the teleprompter. I even made a cameo in the final product!

See if you can spot me in the video below:

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Tuesday: Following the Lead 

In Ghana, people wear their religion on their sleeve. It is a melting pot of ideas that is largely accepting of differing religious views. Their current president and vice president come from Christian and Muslim belief systems, respectively. They do this without issue entirely, which I admire greatly about Ghana. What I didn’t realize though, was how embedded religion would be in the workplace. That is something I realized when I began work on Tuesday.

Right off the bat, one of my bosses asked if I was religious and if I prayed. I gave a long answer, explaining that while I grew up Christian, I wasn’t religiously associated with anything at the moment. He asked again, can you pray? I nodded and closed my eyes, bowing my head. One second passed. Then two. It felt like an hour, though it was probably only a minute. I had run out of things to say in my head and the silence was loud. Then someone else started praying out loud. They had wanted me to pray out loud. Not in my own head. Oops.

My face was just starting to cool down from embarrassment when another staffer shared a piece of motivational advice for the newsroom. Then, we jumped into the morning meeting agenda that I would come to be acquainted with.

Since Joy FM starts the morning with a news bulletin, they follow the bulletin with feedback and critiques that are used to improve the following morning’s news. After critiques, they share other current news from other outlets and other platforms at Joy. Then, they pitch stories to run for the day. By 8 a.m., the newsroom breaks and goes on assignment.

The person sitting next to me, Kenneth, got up to leave for a report. I asked if I could shadow him for the day and he agreed. So, we were off. Heading out on a story about a one day public worker’s strike, our angle was to determine the effect of the strike on the Adabraka PolyClinic and Psychiatric Hospital from the perspectives of both patients and medical personnel.

Check out the final product here:

Wednesday: Reviewing the Station 

After two days of activity at work, Wednesday dulled down a bit. As Wednesdays often do. The morning news meeting didn’t yield entirely exciting headlines, so I didn’t head out on an assignment to shadow. I turned my efforts toward this exact blog post you are reading right now instead. I didn’t want to forget what I had done so far.

As I sat typing on my computer, the time somehow passed to noon– time for the midday news meeting. I listened along, watching ideas bounce back and forth until finally the nightly news report was slated. The end of this meeting didn’t come for a long time, however. I hadn’t realized it, but I was going to be sitting at the same desk for the next three hours as the midday newsroom meeting morphed into a company review meeting.

A few weeks ago, Joy News started gathering stats to compile a comparative analysis of their data against another news channel competitor. Based on the comparative analysis, they found that their improvements lay largely in the diversification of their content on the grounds of location, live/pre-recorded stories, length, original/agency content, etc.

It was a longggg meeting. The longest one I have ever been in, I think. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, I was able to see the inner workings of the business function of a news agency that I hadn’t seen before. I appreciated experiencing Joy’s desire to constantly improve themselves. Countless conversations developed into new policies before my eyes– all created with the desire to keep viewers properly informed.

Thursday: Advocating for Change 

I was ready to head back out into the field, tired of sitting in the newsroom after the previous day. So, I was assigned to shadow Jackie on a reporting assignment. We headed to a section of the Kaneshie Odorkor Highway where we met a group of students from the Citadel International Academy. The Accident Victims Support Unit (AVSU) department mounted a lollipop crossing, a tool to help students cross the road safely, after a student had died a few years prior due to reckless driving.

The demonstration of students was led by the headmistress and head of the AVSU, who modeled the proper use of the crossing tool. Some students wore attire that reflected the careers they wished to have as adults. One dressed as a nurse, another a soldier, and another a lawyer. They held signs that pleaded with drivers to exercise caution on the roads and preserve their futures. Then, they all crossed the road together. It was a powerful showcase of the importance of driving safety.

Bringing to light a public safety issue, made me see firsthand the potential for news to create real and productive change that has the potential to save lives.

Watch the demonstration here: 

Friday: Fitting it Together

Now this was starting to feel like routine. Wake up, morning meeting, see where I can fit in. This was the last day of my first week, and I couldn’t believe that it had flown by so quickly. I had gotten word that the production team would be back in the newsroom to film another promo for the midday news show– could I tag along?

I hadn’t seen Caleb and Newton since my first day. Seeing them felt like seeing your favorite family members at a family reunion. I got them up to date on everything I had done so far. We headed to an old studio, no longer in active use, and recorded some shots inside. Then, we took to the roof across the road.

From the top, I could see the hustling of hawkers and sprawling houses. Car horns blared, halting our production a couple times. Even with obstacles, we figured it out. That’s the nature of this work. And I couldn’t be more exhilarated by it.

The Next Four Weeks: 

When I ask, “What do you do here?” Joy employees here never answer with one concise title. A producer/podcaster/video editor/social media manager/writer/etc… They do it all. There is a beauty in this multifaceted and large skill set that this job invites, but it seems like there is immense stress at times too. This stress is offset, however, by the warm working environment that welcomes you in the morning and carries you through the end of the day.

At first, I wasn’t sure where I could fit in. Now, I am beginning to find my place.