"The AFPC helped me further improve my journalism skills"
Oheneba Ama Nti Osei is a Ghanaian-born French journalist and a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Economics and Business Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She was the 2020 Scholarship Award recipient by the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA. She was previously the research and production editor for pan-African news organization The Africa Report where she managed magazine production and mainly covered the technology and telecom sectors. She also helped launch a podcast series focused on women leaders, profiling high-achieving business executives, politicians, and thinkers in Africa and in the diaspora. She is currently completing an MBA at Columbia Business School, where she serves on the board of the African Business Club.
How has being in the US and pursuing an MBA program at Columbia University changed you as a professional?
Pursuing an MBA at Columbia Business School after the Knight Bagehot Fellowship program was a uniquely rewarding and enriching experience for me as a business journalist. Taking MBA courses such as accounting, corporate finance, and business strategy, in media industries has given me a better understanding of how business leaders manage complexity in an ever-changing technological landscape, as well as insights into how companies are constantly looking to deliver disruptive solutions in order to remain relevant in their industries and fend off competition. As a result of the program and the knowledge I’ve gained, I am better equipped to pose the right questions when interviewing business leaders and I’m able to produce thorough and analytical content for my readers and audiences.
You were one of the distinguished recipients of a scholarship award from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in 2020. How did it contribute to your success and what advice can you offer applicants?
I attended the 2019 AFC scholarship ceremony and was thrilled to learn about the support and dedication the leadership of the association has for foreign journalists, particularly the value they place on their educational development. That led me to apply in 2020, and as an international student with very few funding options, I was — and continue to be — deeply appreciative of the generous financial support AFC-USA provided me through the scholarship award. But beyond that financial support, I have also participated in seminars, moderated panels, and attended workshops organized by the AFPC-USA that have together helped hone my knowledge of the media industry and further improve my journalism skills.
What is your passion for journalism?
I've always loved telling stories and seeking different perspectives on issues. Born in Ghana and having lived in France and Taiwan, I have been particularly captivated by reporting across cultures, which helps me bring an African yet international perspective to discussions. As a journalist, it has further sharpened my ability to analyze local and world issues from different cultural perspectives, and that is what I seek to bring to my audiences each time I produce content.
What are you most concerned about when you think about the future of the media and journalism industry?
What concerns me most is the information overload people are subjected to these days which is caused by the abundant information available on social media. I believe this is where trusted journalists and media organizations can step in to provide honest and accurate information that will help people make informed everyday decisions, whether it’s the type of products they should patronize, which political party to vote for, or which companies to invest in long term.
As a woman, a foreigner, and a journalist of color, what have been your biggest career challenges and how did you overcome them?
Journalism has long been a male-dominated profession and this can sometimes make it difficult for women to be taken as seriously as their male counterparts. Even in situations where women are as qualified as their male colleagues for an assignment, there is a likelihood that they are sidelined simply based on their gender. When you throw a foreign culture into the mix, it can further complicate matters. Personally, I always strive to give my very best to any task I’m assigned without allowing my gender, race, or skin color to place any limits on the quality of work I deliver.
What lessons did you learn (are you learning) from your time in the US?
My time in the US has been hugely beneficial and has helped to give me a deeper understanding of racial and socio-economic issues in a way that was not obvious to me as an African living in Europe. In my time here, I’ve also had a front-row seat to the Black Lives Matter movement, one of the largest in US history, and how it has contributed to shaping thoughtful leadership and perspective-taking within companies, while forcing organizations to examine their diversity and inclusion strategies in the workplace.
