Experts train social communicators of OAU Catholic Chapel
By Roseline Igwe and Ruth Mordi, OAU, Ile-Ife
Communication experts have trained members of the Social Communication Unit of Our Lady of Perpetual Light Chapel, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State on effective communication, news and article writing among other practices of the field.
The communication gurus, Mr. Timothy Agbor and Engineer Emmanuel Oni took the social communicators of the Church through tips on how to anchor formal and informal programmes, project the image of the parish and also support efforts of the Church’s clergy through effective communication.
The two facilitators gave the lectures at a workshop on “Article Writing and Public Speaking” organised by the social communicators of OLPLC on the 29th of April, 2023, at the upper room of the Chapel.
Delivering his lecture on the nitty-gritty of effective and efficient communication, Engineer Oni, the Coordinator of the Social Communications Commission, Ife Deanery said the role of a communicator in the church cannot be undermined.
Entitling his lecture, “Roles of a Communicator in Delivering Effective Communication,” Oni averred that, “Communicators support the clergy, religious, and lay faithful in the propagation of the gospel. A communicator’s role is to pass across a message, thoughts, ideas, and opinions, through an audio, visual, or written channel, in which the message is to be clear, concise, concrete, correct, complete, and courteous.”
He highlighted the need for communicators to be flexible, focused, responsive, and calm in interacting with their audience as these are essential in relating with different categories of people.
Lastly, he urged the communicators to be active in their duties which include making announcements, anchoring offerings, and church events, news writing, and technical assistance, as it would expose them and build their professional capacity and enhance their social interaction.
During his session on “News and Article Writing”, Mr Timothy Agbor, an alumnus of OAU and journalist with The Point Newspaper, availed the participants to the nitty-gritty of writing media reports in professional ways.
Mr. Agbor also urged the communicators to be conscious of using concise and striking headlines, the correct terminologies on different fields, and also to be formal in the use of words and correct grammar usage.
The media guru taught the communicators on news writing using the ‘inverted pyramid’ and explained the structure of appropriate news writing which has to do with the “five Ws and H” namely: What, Who, Where, When, Why, and How. According to him, “News Writing requires the documenting of the most important message first, thereby requiring the ‘What’ of the event to come first and followed by other details of the story.”
He emphasised on four basic language skills which are: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Giving the vote of thanks, the Assistant Coordinator of the unit, Oswald Onimawho, commended the facilitators and noted that all that had been learned would be put into action.
