I started attachment at The Herald in September 2000 after joining Harare Poly in May 1999. I had gone 4 terms learning to gather, write and process news I will always remember the confusion that engulfed me as what we had been taught at college was different from what was needed 
The college stuff, we were told, was only a foundation.
The first thing I was asked was the story I was working on. I had been in my rural home #Zongoro Village and had no idea where I could get a story. The news editor even asked if I knew what a story is. @CocoinZim
The first thing I was asked was the story I was working on. I had been in my rural home #Zongoro Village and had no idea where I could get a story. The news editor even asked if I knew what a story is. @CocoinZim
He also asked for my name and I started by the surname, Makombe, Leonard, then he asked why I started with the surname. Are you a teacher? He asked. I mumbled that I had taught for two years but it was not relevant. What was needed was a story. @tendaimaguwu @ZimMediaReview
And thence, some of the people referred to me as Teacher Makombe. Thanks to two senior reporters, I started working with them on stories they were on. One of them was working on a story on the problems in Zanu PF Harare Province.
He asked me to call the late Moven Mahachi, who was the commissar on the outcome of a meeting. Remember, this was my first day. I was now supposed to be calling the commissar and Minister of Defense. You should have been close to see how shocked I was. @ndiyaye @mambondiyani
I made it to the red telephone line, the direct line to call. My wish, this was 2000, was to hear that the number was not reachable. Then the first dial and it went through. He answered politely and I asked the questions, a story for another day.
I realised that what was important in a newsroom was to come up with new stories. It always boggled my mind, how I would get a new story a day Monday to Friday and even Saturdays. @MaminiminiObert @webchiyangwa @jeffgogo3 @enacynm
To get stories, I was told, I needed to have sources. Still I was baffled, how would I get a source to give me a story each day. The need for stories was one experience that made me rue opting for a daily paper @tendaimaguwu @dmagunda @webchiyangwa @Hwatax @hopechizuzu
Each morning, the news editor would ask for diaries. In fact those who had been at Herald for longer had corporate diaries issued at the beginning of the year and would use these to write story ideas to be considered by the News Editor
For us novices, it was the most terrifying moment. The News Editor would look at your story idea, ask questions and in most cases would just say, look for another story. Whichever way it ended, anything that made you leave the news editor’s cubicle was a relief
I always wanted to see which stories would have made it to the list of stories for that day I only realised that the stories submitted in the morning by senior reporters would make it to the list but not to the pages of the paper the following day. I was told, I submitted a dummy
A junior, or someone on attachment would not afford that luxury as the News Editor would always follow up and ask about progress. After the submission of story Idea, the next thing would be to wait (with bated breathe) for the editorial meeting outcome.
This was where the elite would meet and discuss stories. It was about value addition and coordinating stories as each desk was represented (features, entertainment, sports, news, business)
Now other lessons were that if you join a newsroom with female classmates, you will be in for a very bad time as the silly stories (fillers) would be donated by the senior reports to these colleagues.
The ladies would be supporting other ladies while male journos would be making an impression and you will be in the shadows At that time, computers were in short supply, at times as many as 5 interns sharing one.
Now there was this bold intern who would even tell you to sign out and she would say she has other things to do. If you resisted she would report you to the News Editor
One day, I spied on her as she typed her password.
One day, I spied on her as she typed her password.
When she went, I logged in using her credentials, changed the password and logged out. That was a mini victory for me after all the harassment meted on us
I also managed to play around with the computers, as I would access different files on the server including music, memos, letters and CVs. I really enjoyed this and at times would show some of the senior reporters the booty
