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Adh-Dhikr Press Trains Members to Write with Clarity, Speak with Confidence

Facilitators at Adh-Dhikr Press Workshop have charged press members to write with clarity and speak with confidence.

Held on Sunday, 15th June, 2025, at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque, the workshop, themed “Empowering Pressmen for Impact,” focused on building the capacity of members in news writing, public speaking, and professional integrity.

The first session featured Moruf Lawal, a news editor and former Editor-in-Chief of Al-Faaedah Press Organisation, who discussed the topic: “Reporting Realities: The Full Scope of News Writing.”

Lawal began by introducing the 5Ws and H (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How) as the backbone of any news story.

He identified three fundamental parts of a news report: the headline, the lead, and the body, stressing that the headline must be well-crafted, simple, and catchy.

According to him, the lead is the most important part of a news article and should capture the essence of the entire report while addressing the 5Ws and H.

He also explained the inverted pyramid style, the industry standard for news writing, where the most critical information comes first, followed by supporting details in decreasing order of importance.

The second session was led by Sakeenah Kareem, a public speaker and Editorial Adviser of the organisation, who addressed the topic: “The Art of Public Speaking.”

Kareem began with pre-stage preparation tips, such as identifying how one personally experiences stage fright, mastering the speech topic, rehearsing thoroughly, dressing comfortably, and taking ownership of the time allotted for a speech.

She walked participants through the process of crafting an impactful speech, including brainstorming, building arguments, avoiding fallacies, quoting credible authorities, and acknowledging counter-arguments through rebuttals.

She also gave tips on speech delivery, advising on appropriate gesticulation, effective vocal expression, and delivering with awareness of punctuation and rhythm.

The final session was handled by Abdurrahman Adebayo, former Editor-in-Chief of the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan, who spoke on “Balancing Truth and Delivery: Ethical Journalism and Effective Public Speaking.”

He reinforced the points made by the earlier speakers while stressing the importance of truthfulness, objectivity, and writing for public interest.

Adebayo warned against injecting personal bias into reporting and emphasized the need for confirmation from multiple sources before publication.

He also reiterated that news should not be published during times of doubt, a crucial ethical stance in responsible journalism.

In his remarks, Mojeed Ajibola, former Editor-in-Chief of the organisation, praised the current leadership of the press and encouraged them to continue raising the standard.

He urged both new and old members to dedicate themselves to personal growth and the development of the press, pushing it even further beyond the achievements of previous members.