By Abigael Dada 300lvl Mass Comm
ABU Campus Press held its first physical workshop for the 2025/2026 academic session on Friday, March 13, 2026, which gave students a chance to improve their reporting and writing skills.
The workshop, themed "The Power of the Written Word: Writing Impactful Stories in Modern Journalism," was facilitated by the President of ABU Campus Press, Liyasu Sanni, a 400-level student of Mass Communication.
During the session, Sanni discussed the core pillars of journalism, emphasizing the importance of news values such as relevance, accuracy, human interest, and proximity. He pointed out that for a story to appeal to readers today, it must not only be factual but also connect directly with the audience.
The facilitator guided participants through the technicalities of writing a compelling news story, focusing on captivating headlines, the lead, and story structure.
"The lead should be the summary of the summary of the whole context," Sanni explained during the training, highlighting that a strong opening must contain elements that compel a reader to finish the story.
The workshop, which drew students from all levels, concluded with practical assessments to test participants’ understanding.
Speaking after the workshop, Victory Obadimu, a 100-level Mass Communication student, expressed her satisfaction with the session. She commended ABU Campus Press for the initiative, noting that the lessons on structural organization were particularly eye-opening.
"I learnt how to organize write-ups, starting from the lead, which is supposed to give us the summary of the whole context and have elements that will make the reader read the story to the end," Obadimu stated.
Similarly, Samson Amidu Samuel, another attendee and 100-level Mass Communication student, emphasized the importance of presentation.
"I learnt how to set up a news story and present it. Also, the headline of a news story must be captivating," he said.
Samuel further appreciated the facilitator and promised to attend future workshops organized by ABU Campus Press.
The workshop shows ABU Campus Press’s dedication to nurturing a vibrant media culture within the University. By bridging the gap between classroom theory and practical journalism, the Campus Press continues to prepare students for the evolving landscape of modern media.