A REFLECTION ON MY ENCOUNTER IN MAC 317

Dr. Akanni. Photo by Milato

By Iwuchukwu Cynthia 

It was the first lecture in the session. I hurried into the class when I learnt the lecture had begun. The lecturer in charge was Dr. Akanni, as we fondly call him. “A tough course it will be”, I said to myself. In the end, I had the wrong impression.

Dr. Akintunde Akanni was designated to lecture the 300-Level students of Journalism department on MAC 317, Online Journalism. The communication expert, who was appointed in 1998, visiting scholar to the Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, took us through a wide range of different topics related to the course.

He began with the advent of the internet, news production in the age of the internet, information consumption… His goal was not only for us to know about the internet, but to also go through some practical assignments. We were shared into groups and were asked to create a blog. 

Creating a blog? Many wondered. I felt a little uncertain about creating a blog. The course became complicated to me at that point.  After some brief explanation, I realized creating a blog cost you just five minutes!

A quick slide into Dr. Akanni’s biography portrays him as a lettered man. In 2003, the erudite made the list of Netherland’s fellowship awardees, which he emerged as pioneer participant in the institute’s Globalization and Development program.

His eloquent vocabulary struck me the most, especially how he pronounced the word “Journalism” when lecturing.

Online journalism cannot be discussed without mentioning the various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the likes. Being a communication consultant in both conventional and online media, the social media savvy went out of his way to distribute directives on how to effectively use social media platforms.

He made us read some of his online publications. Not only did i read, i looked deep into his writing style.  This has helped me improved my writing skill.

After each group had created their blog, we didn’t rest on our oars. Dr. Akanni instructed that each group member must have a story published on the blog, and there should be a collective story of everyone in the group.

As a participant in Michigan State University’s Responsible Governance program, and a Media Development activist, Dr. Akanni lectured MAC 317 by heart. He also made the class interactive by asking questions and giving room for opinions. At the end of every lecture, he gave recommendations for further research.

The semester was becoming a wrap as exam was fast approaching. It was the last lecture and he hadn’t forgotten about the blog he asked us to create. He swiftly discussed with us, the pitfall of online news managers and how to cope with the challenges. He identified some pitfalls which include Plagiarism, Fake or Counterfeit news platforms, but a few to mention. At the end of the lecture, he gave us areas of concentration for our forthcoming examination, and wished us success. Again, he reminded us on the deadline for the stories we are to publish on the blog.

I enjoyed every encounter in MAC 317 class, as Dr. Akanni extends his avidness when duty calls. I sincerely appreciate the depth and detail of every topic he lectured.