By Ali Hope Onyinyechi

As part of programmes to enhance students hands-on training, the Industrial Training Students at the ESUT Monitor Newspaper, ESUT on Wednesday embarked on excursion to the Choice Flame Communication, Enugu to acquire practical knowledge on print media production and digital skills.

The team led by the Staff Adviser, Mr Amaechi Agbo arrived the Choice Flame Communication office at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu at exactly 11am. The excursion exposed the students to the different stages involved in newspaper production, from gathering and designing news to printing, folding, binding and finishing.

Speaking during the tour, the Director of Choice Flames Communication, Rev. Fr. Anthony Aneke explained that the printing process begins from the newsroom, where reporters, editors and other media workers gather and prepare news before it is sent to the graphic designers.

He said the graphic designers arrange the stories and other materials before the work moves to the Computer to Plate (CTP) room, where information is transferred from the computer to metallic plates used for printing.

According to him, offset printing uses plates to transfer text and images onto paper, adding that the printing process involves colour separation into four major colours: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, commonly known as CMYK.

He explained that the organisation uses different machines for printing, including one unit, two unit and four unit machines, depending on the number of colours being printed at a time.

The Director also educated the students on different types of paper and their uses. He said bond paper is commonly used for exercise books, while art paper is used for materials such as brochures, magazines and gazettes.

He added that different paper grammages are used depending on the type of production, explaining that lighter paper is suitable for some publications, while thicker paper is preferred where more ink is required.

He further explained that after printing, the papers go through folding and compilation, after which they may be stitched or hot bound before being trimmed to produce a neat finished work.

The Director warned that printing requires careful attention because an error made at an early stage could affect the entire production and force the printer to reproduce the work at an additional cost.

He said Choice Flame Communication also handles other forms of production, including newspapers, books, brochures, gazettes, magazines, banners and customised materials.

Speaking on the importance of technical skills, he said Mass Communication students should not depend only on classroom knowledge but should also acquire practical skills that would make them more useful in the media industry.

He also introduced the students to the organisation’s Innovation Hub, explaining that the unit was created to encourage young people to develop new ideas and find creative solutions.

According to him, the Innovation Hub expects its members to think outside the box and introduce something new and practical.

The students were also taken through Choice Flame Communication’s archive, where old newspapers and other important documents are kept.

The Director described an archive as a place where important documents and records are stored for future use. He said the organisation could trace newspapers produced many years ago through its archive.

He stressed that archives remain important to the media because printed documents can serve as evidence, especially when proper documentation is required.

The students also visited the media organisation’s graphics section, where they were told that knowledge of graphic design is an important skill for Mass Communication students.

The Director encouraged the students to develop skills in graphic design, adding that anyone working in the graphics section should have a good knowledge of graphic design tools.

He also showed the students a smart conference room under construction, explaining that the facility would allow the organisation to hold visual meetings with people in other countries without travelling.

The students were later taken to the podcast studio, where they were introduced to facilities used for podcasting, live streaming, recording discussions and visual presentations.

Speaking on digital skills, Choice Flame Communication’s ICT expert, Mr Chike Ogbonna, urged the students to develop technical skills beyond news writing, reporting and broadcasting.

Chike, who said he also studied Mass Communication, explained that he had to develop himself beyond the traditional areas of the discipline by learning technical skills.

He said the media industry was changing rapidly and that students needed to prepare themselves for the realities of the modern workplace.

According to him, there are not enough jobs for everyone after graduation, making skill acquisition important for young graduates.

He encouraged the students to learn digital skills such as animation, website development, video editing and other technology related skills.

Mr Ogbonna also introduced the students to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a learning tool, advising them to use AI to understand and improve their skills rather than depending on it to do all their work.

He explained that students could use AI tools to get learning guides and discover free resources for developing different digital skills.

However, he warned against complete dependence on AI, saying that students should first understand the basic principles of whatever skill they were learning.

He stressed the importance of continuous learning, practice and consistency, adding that mastery comes from applying what one has learned, correcting mistakes and continuing to improve.

He also showed the students some of the equipment in the studio, including a teleprompter, green screen, lighting equipment and a background stand used for photography.

The ICT guru explained that the studio could accommodate two guests at a time and could be used for different forms of visual content.

He urged the students to develop a mindset of learning, improving, unlearning and relearning in order to remain relevant in the changing media industry.

The excursion provided the students with practical knowledge of printing, media production, archiving and digital technology, while encouraging them to combine their academic knowledge with practical and technical skills.