S2 Ep3: Mercy Abang | Journalist

It took me many moons to publish this episode (Mercy and I
actually talked back in September 2021). Finally, I can share
this interview with Mercy Abang! She is a Nigerian journalist
living in Berlin. About 5 years ago, I met her in Bonn at a
workshop at Deutsche Welle. She has freelanced for the Associated
Press, Al Jazeera, BBC and the Columbia Journalism School, among
others. She just started working at Hostwriter as one of two
managing directors. Congratulations! 

In this episode, we talk about the Twitter ban in Nigeria and
what this means for the civic online space and journalism, we
cover the challenges of being an entrepreneur and we discuss in
how far journalists should embrace technology. She gives us a
glimpse of what's important to her and how she prioritizes her
work and her life.





Some key takeaways:


Social media platforms help journalists with marketing and
distribution and should be used accordingly. Having the right
content is simply not enough. 

However, journalists should not just focus on one platform.
The more you increase the visibility on other platforms the
better and when one falls flat (as we saw in Nigeria), you can
rely on others. Diversify your distribution strategy.

Don't underestimate the importance of VPN and other
technological opportunities to ensure free speech.

Mercy decided to go back to business school. Why? We have to
start looking at money. as a journalist, you have to know
business. As a journalist, you need an entrepreneurial mindset.

Content creation is more than a buzzword for gen z. 

Platforms like facebook and Google take a new role/position
in the media ecosystem and changes how individual journalists can
position themselves within that ecosystem.

We have no idea how the future of the media look like.

Journalists should embrace innovation and not fight it.
Journalists should adapt to innovation and not fight it.

Everybody has become a journalist, everyobody has become a
storyteller, everyobody has become a content creator, everybody
has become a broadcaster.

Mercy expects more journalists to think outside the box and
say ... the world is changing.






More links:


Mercy Abang

Mercy Abang is one of two new managing directors at
Hostwriter 

Mercy Abang on Al Jazeera's Listening Post 

Tim Ferris Blog

Christiane Amanpour






Welcome to the international edition of my podcast Rath.hub. I am
your host Linda Rath and I interview entrepreneurs who I admire
and look up to. I want to know more about their business AND:
What drives them? What inspires them? I believe you need so much
more than just talent and skills to be successful in business.
So, let's find out what secrets our entrepreneurs will reveal to
us. 


If you have any questions or want to share some thoughts, feel
free to contact me via Twitter @Lynda420. I am your host Linda
Rath and I am looking forward to connecting with you in my next
episode.


This episode is brought to you by Media Tech Hub Potsdam. It is
one of 12 digital hubs in Germany, initiated by the Federal
Ministry of Economics and Energy – and the only one with a focus
on MediaTech. it encompasses a working space, an accelerator and
an annual conference and i highly recommend you check it out if
you want to start a business and look for networking
opportunities. I am an entrepreneur myself and our startup
Vragments used to be located at the media tech lab in Potsdam.



Credits:


Produced by Linda Rath

Photo Mercy Abang by Mercy Abang

Photo Linda Rath by Stefan Walter for Causalux Fotos 

Podcast Cover by Nicole Koppe

Episode Cover Art by Stephan Gensch

Music/Jingles by Mara Niese