The Voice of Reason is a collection of columns written over the years by one of Nigeria’s renowned journalists Kola Animasaun. The doyen of Nigerian journalism Alade Odunewu (Allah-de) gives the best testimony to the genius of Animasaun when he says: “I read Kola Animasaun every week. His column does what a good column should do – take on all manner of people as well as all manner of subjects, from the sublime to the ridiculous. As I myself attempted to do decades ago, the column is about men and matters; it is history; it is about politicians, morality; about religion, government and the governed, about the endless struggle between the powerful and the weak; about man’s inhumanity to man; about class divide; about those strange elements you can find in George Orwell’s 1984 – the Minister of Public Enlightenment and Information, who specialises in ignorance and voodooism; about Big Brother watching over your shoulder; about the agency established to provide electricity, but which specialises in throwing the nation into utter darkness; about epileptic telephone.”
Style is about the house style of what has become the quintessential Nigerian news magazine that has grown to be respected as a national icon—the Newswatch magazine. However, the book also offers general guideline for reporters, editors and sub-editors to ensure that news writing and page design stick to a uniform set of rules. This makes it easier to write for a publication. Easier to plan pages. Easier to read. The book attempts to impose order on the profession that thrives in chaos. Newswatch Style Book though primarily for reporters and editors of the magazine, is for anybody who cares about style.
The Voice of Reason is a collection of columns written over the years by one of Nigeria’s renowned journalists Kola Animasaun. The doyen of Nigerian journalism Alade Odunewu (Allah-de) gives the best testimony to the genius of Animasaun when he says: “I read Kola Animasaun every week. His column does what a good column should do – take on all manner of people as well as all manner of subjects, from the sublime to the ridiculous. As I myself attempted to do decades ago, the column is about men and matters; it is history; it is about politicians, morality; about religion, government and the governed, about the endless struggle between the powerful and the weak; about man’s inhumanity to man; about class divide; about those strange elements you can find in George Orwell’s 1984 – the Minister of Public Enlightenment and Information, who specialises in ignorance and voodooism; about Big Brother watching over your shoulder; about the agency established to provide electricity, but which specialises in throwing the nation into utter darkness; about epileptic telephone.”
Style is about the house style of what has become the quintessential Nigerian news magazine that has grown to be respected as a national icon—the Newswatch magazine. However, the book also offers general guideline for reporters, editors and sub-editors to ensure that news writing and page design stick to a uniform set of rules. This makes it easier to write for a publication. Easier to plan pages. Easier to read. The book attempts to impose order on the profession that thrives in chaos. Newswatch Style Book though primarily for reporters and editors of the magazine, is for anybody who cares about style.