By Nache Bike
It was Sun Tzu, in his text, “The Art of War” that stated: One who takes position first at the battleground and awaits the enemy is at ease. One who takes position later at the battleground and hastens to do battle is at labour.
For an eagle, it takes a position by getting its mind prepared for what is to come, picking a prey to grab with its sharp, unrelenting claws.
In this scenario, this king of birds focuses its attention on the unsuspecting prey which gives it the edge. The eagle’s state of mind is relaxed and balanced, while waiting for the right time to strike. In the heat of battle, while swooping in on its prey, the mind might appear to lose its balance to a watcher; but indeed there is no change at all in the eagle’s mind and as such there is no imbalance.
A journalist must act like an eagle with his laser beam ready at all times, and having a bull dog’s tenacity in capturing events. While at this, presence of mind is of utmost importance.
Also, s/he knows that there is a lot to learn by listening and observing. People reveal more than they know when you pay attention to their actions much more than their words. Moreover, asking questions about all things, listening, probing, and observing helps in knowing a little, and sometimes a great deal, about nearly all things that come along. By observing alone, the unconscious or nonverbal cues of humans are exposed.
In the rugged field that the profession has become, being of the female gender presents its own challenges. Often, there is a high tendency for clawy fingers to want to exploit the tender nature of the woman, but she should learn to build an invisible and strong wall around herself so as not to allow the eagle instincts of the male source to prey on her. A strong faith, coupled with a strong resolve, are needed to survive in the urban and fast-paced jungle we now live in.
▪︎ Ms. Bike, a student of Mass Communication, sent this article from Abuja.