At the Daily Guide in Ghana, a typical workday for journalists like myself and Melvin starts early. We usually leave the office around 8 a.m. each day to cover events scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., often with a second event in the afternoon around 2 p.m. Our responsibilities at each press conference or public discussion include photographing key speakers and taking notes on the most important moments. Access to the main speaker’s speech is frequently available, which greatly simplifies the process of adding accurate quotes to our news stories.
Once an event concludes, we return to the Daily Guide office where I begin writing the first draft of the news report. Initially, Melvin would heavily edit my drafts, often rewriting significant portions to align the story with his preferred style and the Daily Guide’s editorial requirements. However, recently, his approach has become more collaborative. He now tends to suggest specific changes or additions, building upon my original writing. The published articles feature both our names as contributors, combining my photographs with our joint journalistic writing.
My most memorable story to date was an unexpected assignment that didn’t involve covering a scheduled event. One Tuesday, the News Editor asked me to conduct an interview with his relative, a Ghanaian basketball player who was visiting Ghana to see family. I had only twenty minutes to prepare my questions before the basketball player arrived at the office. This was an unusual task, yet I welcomed it as a unique and special opportunity. This particular article holds significance for me as it became the first piece I authored solely for the Daily Guide.
Enjoy.
