Makafui Aikins
Accra, Ghana
Covers:
Human rights, Law, Governance, Global Issues, Africanism, African Diaspora, Pan-Africanism, Globalisation, Information Technology, Art, Literature, Africa's Economic & Socioeconomic Growth
Doesn't Cover:
Nonsense
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Not a job, per se. I do freelance writing. I write for newspapers, magazines--online and offline, local and international, as columnist.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No--this says a lot about my age, does it not?
How is social media changing news?
Social Media has provided a platform. The catch is how wide and unwatched this platform has become. News constantly risks a loss of integrity
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Komla Dumor of blessed memory
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I am a Writer. All over the world, revolutions have happened, cultures changed, lives bettered, just because people dared to write.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Errr... I am going to need a minute with this one.... #needaminute
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Yes
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
This might seem like a lame answer, but I love Word--oh! the things I do with Word.
What's your favorite social network?
Sadly not the biggest fan of social media. But if I am to choose, I will say LinkedIn for the professionality of it.
Who do you wish followed you?
All insightful people out there.
Why did you become a journalist?
It wasn't a conscious decision to become a writer. It came naturally to me. Everyone ought to be a writer.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Deputy Editor-in-Chief, for St. Louis Senior High School magazine (Louisville Magazine), and Editor-in-Chief for a joint magazine (FAMA)
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Things I'm not proud of, I have not written yet. Yet 'The Scattering, the Gathering--the Diaspora' I really like that piece of mine
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write truly. There is a gut-feeling in us all; a conscience in us all, use it. Learn endlessly.
When's the best time to pitch you?
7:00 pm - 11:00 pm is my sweet spot.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The one by Daily Guide regarding the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly timely and much appreciated
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
One by a newspaper outlet requesting that I write on a topic, specifically from a certain political party's standpoint.
What's your favorite drink?
A soft drink called Malta Guiness. This is a random question--I like that!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
...in my books
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I love pieces in the African Report, New African, African Leadership Magazine, to name a few
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
I have not gotten feedback about a misconception yet. But I can sniff one right out--NOTE: pro-Black development ISN'T anti-White
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.