Chika Oduah

Raising the bar for freelance journos from Africa

Ayodeji Rotinwa, the deputy editor of African Arguments, and I had an in-depth talk about how he’s trying to help raise the standard of reporting through a new fellowship program for African freelance journalists.

Series: How to move to Africa as a journalist #3: Melissa Chemam

For the third edition of the “How to move to Africa as a journalist” series, I spoke to Melissa Chemam who lived and worked in Central and East Africa as a freelance journalist.

Series: How to move to Africa as a journalist #2: Erica Ayisi

For the second edition of the “How to move to Africa as a journalist” series, I spoke to Erica Ayisi who lived in Ghana as a TV news reporter.

Series: How to move to Africa as a journalist #1: Drew Hinshaw

For the first post of the “how to move to Africa as a journalist” series, I talk to Wall Street Journal reporter Drew Hinshaw.

Introducing the “How to move to Africa as a journalist” series

Wanna know what it takes to relocate to Africa to work as a journalist? “How to move to Africa as a journalist” is a new series that explores this and offers tips.

That “tribal” word

It’s a problematic term that African scholars and media professional have pushed against for decades. Recently, some companies have stopped using it.

Don’t drink the water or you’ll grow three heads

And if you don’t end up with three heads sticking out of your neck, then maybe you’ll suffer from a belly full of bloodsucking worms. The travel health warnings about many places in Africa can sound downright scary. You may have heard stories of people shivering in cold sweat and vomiting after eating at aContinue reading “Don’t drink the water or you’ll grow three heads”

Attitude of gratitude: stories I covered in 2020

2020 was a very tough time for journalists around the world, specifically for independents and creatives like myself. I was able to get reporting gigs, but they were very few. Anyhow, I’m a believer in living in an attitude of gratitude. So I’m using this space to share some of the stories that I covered last year.

Do they even speak English in Africa?

Someone asked me this again. A few months ago, during one of my trips back home to Atlanta, an American woman who had told me that she was interested in visiting Africa for the very first time – specifically contemplating Ghana – asked me, “do they speak English there?” I calmly told her yes, theyContinue reading “Do they even speak English in Africa?”

Do you need a degree in journalism to be a journalist?

You do not actually need a Bachelor’s degree in journalism to practice as a journalist. In fact, the idea of a journalism degree is fairly recent. American universities pioneered journalism education.

Reporting on religion in Africa

The incredible array of spiritual beliefs in Africa is truly mind-boggling. There’s no way to quantify it. Spirituality in Africa is endlessly fascinating to me. I’ve spent years studying it and I still feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface.

How to pitch a (text) story

Pitching is a skill and an art that journalists should master. A good pitch starts with research and I can’t emphasize this enough.

Greet the chief: you can’t start asking questions without seeing him

If you find yourself in a smaller community in Africa, particularly the ones outside of the big cities, it’s a good idea to respect the customary greeting protocols.

Wanted: More black women journalists reporting on Africa

I want to use this space to recognize black women journalists who have covered Africa-related content. I’m an advocate for seeing more women in news bureaus.

Pick up a language, it’s good for the brain: Multilingualism in Africa

Many Africans are multilingual. If you go to South Africa, you’ll likely come across young folks who speak four, five, six languages. Multilingualism is part of the experience of growing up in Africa. There are more than 1,500 distinct languages spoken there.

Author Archives: Chika Oduah