Involvement and ShineFM Mentor aspiring Journalists at St. Angela Nguviu Girls

HoD MFS, Dr. Ann Anjao & PRO Jean Murungi, Dido Halaki, Helga Mbodze and Phicol Hope with students who won awards in the journalism competition facilitated by the involvement and shine FM team at Nguvia Girls High School.

By Sharon Mwazuna

[Embu - March 9, 2025] Journalism goes beyond news reporting; it is about framing the narrative, promoting accountability, and stimulating transparency.

Journalism is a powerful tool that not only informs but also strengthens democracy, creates well-informed citizens, and develops critical thinkers.

On 9th March, 2025, Involvement newspaper and ShineFM converted St. Angela Nguviu Girls High School in Embu County into a media hub for guidance on pursuing communication as a career, during the School’s Journalism Day.  

The event was sponsored by the Daystar University Corporate Affairs and Marketing Department, and supported by the University’s School of Communication Media Hub, which houses the Involvement newspaper, Shine FM, and students taking internship with the Daystar Production Unit (DPU) in the Corporate Affairs and Marketing Department.

The event brought together 142 students from St. Angela Nguviu Girls High School and King David Boys High School-Kamama in a workshop for aspiring journalists.

The workshop served as a practical forum for inspiring the love for media and journalism among high school students, facilitated by Daystar University students studying journalism.  The students were led by the Head of Department, Media and Film Studies, Dr. Anne Anjao Eboi and Public Relations Officer, Ms. Jean Murungi.

Beyond the workshops and presentations, the forum served as a mentorship platform, where the high schoolers were not only taught about journalism but also had an opportunity to meet professionals who have trodden the career path they wish to pursue - Dr. Eboi and Ms. Murungi, who came in handy to provide professional advice to the students. 

The day began with an inspiring opening speech by the Deputy Principal of St. Angela Nguviu Girls High School, Madam Margaret Kariuki. She highlighted the importance of the critical consumption of the media and encouraged the students to take maximum advantage of the mentorship offered to them. 

“We are honored to host Journalism Day and are excited about the mentorship opportunities that will be created today,” she said, adding that the counsel extended by Daystar University will impart knowledge and insight to the students.

At the heart of the event were interactive workshops led by Involvement and Shine FM editors and their advisors, Dr. Eboi and Ms. Murungi. The sessions covered a wide range of topics including photojournalism, news writing and reporting, editorial writing, interview skills, fake news, and the impact of social media. 

Every session was designed to not only offer practical skills but also to engage the students in discussions on the evolving role of journalism in the digital era.

One of the topics of the day was Fake News and social media impact, which was handled by Phicol Hope and Dido Halake. The duo took the students through an interactive session on how to discern credible information from a pool of misinformation. They gave personal anecdotes, insightful observations, and practical tips on how young journalists could forge a career on the pillars of truth, integrity, and ethical media practice. 

Another session (newswriting and reporting) was facilitated by Helga Mbodze and Sharon Mwazuna who inspired students to be great writers and reporters when their time to join newsrooms comes. The last session, which was on interviewing skills, was handled by Ms. Murungi.

Another highlight was the creative presentations by the high school students. One of these was an evocative poem entitled “It’s My Story,” composed and read by Chelsea, a student at St. Angela Nguviu Girls. The strength of her words echoed the strength of journalism: the ability of stories to transform perception, to catalyze change, and to build bridges among people.

Besides, the Daystar Communication Hub offered mentorship through a panel discussion moderated by Dido Halake. Among the panelists who joined other high school student panelists were Helga Mbodze and Phicol Hope. This provided a platform for students to interact with and learn from Daystar University student journalists as they fielded questions. Throughout the discussions, a connection between study and application was established, and the students were able to see that journalism is more than just studying in the classroom; it is a hands-on and dynamic career.

Later on, there was a quiz to give students an opportunity to apply what they had learnt. The contest not only challenged their news writing and reporting skills, but also provided an avenue for them to express their creativity and passion. The students cooperatively wrote news reports on topics based on the workshops. While prizes were awarded to the best, the true value lay in the experience itself, an avenue to demonstrate the skills and techniques they had learnt throughout the day.

The hands-on learning experience allowed the students to gain insight into journalists’ everyday tasks as well as grasp the significance of portraying stories in a responsible and ethical context. The students showed interest in their responses as they participated in simulations that showed them the real challenges faced by present-day journalists. 

To the students of St. Angela Nguviu Girls and King David Boys High School-Kamama, this was more than a celebration of Journalism Day; the workshop laid a foundation for their future career in journalism. The students departed with an abundance of knowledge, a profound feeling of inspiration and the conviction that they too can influence the direction of journalism. Many students expressed enthusiasm for a career in journalism and were inspired to enhance their skills further and take their passion for storytelling forward.

Ms. Murungi had this to say, “The students were amazing in terms of enthusiasm and creativity. This was more than just a mere transmission of information; it was the true meaning of shaping the future generation of journalists. I think that the future of journalism is bright and that these students will contribute significantly to the industry.” 

On her part, Dr. Eboi considered this a day well-spent and in her words: “Today, I didn’t just impart knowledge, I helped to shape Kenya’s future newsroom storytellers - and that is enough fulfilment in my career."

The St. Angela Nguviu Girls High School Journalism Day in Embu County was not just a Journalism Day celebration, it was a significant platform where mentorship was used as a principle method of encouraging and cultivating skills in aspiring media professionals.

For most of these students, this was only the start of their journey as journalists; a journey that, with the help of their mentors, will enable them to become not only excellent journalists but also ethical, knowledgeable, and innovative storytellers who can make a difference with their stories.