13 February 2020

For PH Media To Bring Out Brave, Bright & Brilliant Journalists – Do Brainstorms!

What 2 words can I use to describe PH journalism today?
Not Genius.

What exactly do I mean by that? 10 things. Actually, I’m thinking of: pedestrian, boring, dull, tedious, uninteresting, monotonous, flat, bland, wearying, unexciting! Including Rappler (except Pat Evangelista).

By “journalists” I include the aggie journalists. Unlike sports with its built-in suspense, the theory and practice of Agriculture, the science of it, is not a quick source of either excitement or elegance. The subject matter requires genius; the problem is:

Journalists do not try and bring out the genius in themselves!

How? Brainstorming will do wonders to journalism. You can brainstorm with others – I brainstorm with myself alone.

Now then, Inc. Magazine says there are 3 personality types that “can bring out the creativity in all of us” in a brainstorming session. Maria Haggerty, CEO of Dotcom Distribution, writes in Inc. about “The 3 People You Need In The Room For A Successful Brainstorming Session[1].” She means 3 personality types. She says:

When it comes to brainstorming, there are several personality types that I've found to all but guarantee a productive, successful, and often enjoyable process and outcome. In my experience, people who embody the following designations tend to contribute greatly to group brainstorms in the form of stimulating creativity, provoking thought, and keeping momentum going.

She says those personality types are:
(1) The Devil’s Advocate
(2) The One With No Filter
(3) The News Junkie.

Ms Maria says:

But as with any group, you can expect a certain level of friction. This can stem from a variety of factors including conflicting ideals, competing interests, professional experience, personal history, and certainly others. As a leader, balancing the opinions of different types of people is par for the course…

Actually, you can be like a genius more than Ms Maria:

To be extra creative, do not balance the opinions. Instead, use them all. Explore them all. And then surely you will find peace – and beauty!

That’s genius.

Genius is in everyone. We just do not know how to evoke it every single time we need it – and in journalism, we need it all the time!

To over-write the American genius Thomas Alva Edison, who said “genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration” – I say the exact opposite! I genius am telling you, “Genius is 90% inspiration and 10% perspiration!”

Ms Maria is talking about brainstorming with a group to bring out the best ideas not just from one person. Even Edward de Bono, whom I now call The Father of Creative Thinking, advocates group brainstorming. You can treat it as a gab session, if you like, a simple chat – in a relaxed atmosphere, ideas will come out and one will glow. (I can teach you how to do it yourself in a free one-day seminar-workshop, crowd size notwithstanding. Invite me to Metro Manila, frankahilario@gmail.com.)

Even adventurous Rappler can brighten up its reports beyond Who, What, Where, When, Why and an occasional How.

Rappler, time to bring out the genius in you!@517






[1] https://www.inc.com/maria-haggerty/the-3-people-you-need-in-room-for-a-successful-brainstorming-session.html


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