Stephanie Busari

Stephanie Kemi Busari (born 1977) is a Nigerian journalist notable for exclusively obtaining the "proof of life" video for the missing Chibok schoolgirls in the wake of the Bring Back Our Girls advocacy which led to negotiations with Boko Haram that resulted in the release of over 100 of the kidnapped schoolgirls.

Quotes

You and I, we have a role to play in that. We’re the ones who share the content. We’re the ones who share the stories online. In this day and age, we’re the publishers. And we have responsibilities. In my job as a journalist, I check and verify. I trust my gusts but I ask tough questions. Why is this person telling me this story? What do they have to gain by sharing this information? Do they have a hidden agenda? I really believe we must all begin to ask tougher questions of information we discover online. Research shows that some of us don’t even read beyond headlines but we share stories.
- [1]
- A Quote from Stephanie Busari on how fake news does real harm.

What if we stop taking information that we discover as face value? What if we stop to think about the consequence of the information that we pass on and its potential to incite violence or hatred? What if we stop to think about the real-life consequences of the information that we share?
- [2]
- A Quote from Stephanie Busari on how fake news does real harm.

The Chibok girls are a symbol; a symbol of the women; of all the girls that have been stolen by Boko Haram.
- [3]
- Speaking on what inspired her touchy report about the Chibok girls that won her the Grace award.

Every journalist has a story that defines them. For me, it’s one of the stories I would find very hard to let go as long as the girls are in Boko Haram captivity.
- [4]
- Speaking on what inspired her touchy report about the Chibok girls that won her the Grace award.

Sitting in a developed country and complaining about Nigeria is not really going to make things happen. I have to be here do what I can, to help it develop, I feel my role is to highlight the story that needs to be told; shed light on things that needs to be exposed. These are things that drive me.
- [5]
- Speaking on her impression of the Nigerian terrain.

My role is to say, there are problem here like everywhere in the world, we need to show a different tide, and we need to show people who are making impact, people who are making great things here.
- [6]
- Speaking about making a difference in helping to change people’s lives through her style of reporting.

In the Uk, people wear jeans and top, sometimes, no make up, and off they go. But here, everybody pays attention to what you wear and how you look. Here, people take pride in how they dress. Here, it is dress how you want to be addressed but in the UK there is nothing like that.
- [7]
- Comparing UK and Nigeria fashion and dress sense.

As a woman, you can’t limit yourself, the ages of limitations are definitely gone so, do it.
- [8]
- Speaking on how new media is shaping women of today and how it has accommodated women.

Nigerian women rock! The can-do spirit and general tenacity in the face of adversity is something to be admired. From the market woman selling her wares to the women at the height of their careers, I am full of admiration of how Nigerian women manage to make things happen, sometimes with very little.
- [9]
- A Quote from her interview on one thing that struck her about the Nigerian woman.

There’s something about this place that just grabs you and sucks you in. The energy is off the charts and I think that is what attracts people here.
- [10]
- A Quote from her interview on how she has been able to fit into the crazy hustle and bustle of Lagos.

Practice your craft daily. Watch those you admire, follow their steps, and emulate them. But you must start. Create your own opportunities.
- [11]
- A Quote from her interview sharing some tips that contributed to attaining the level she is now.

We want to engage with the audience where they are, on mobile, on social, and also for those who are not connected online, on television. So it’s a multi-faceted, multi-platform approach using digital storytelling tools to tell African stories in a new way.
- [12]
- A Quote from her interview on how the idea of CNN setting up a digital space in Nigeria came about.

We are a news network and we report the news as it happens. We must tell the stories we find.
- [13]
- A Quote from her interview on the western media tends to be biased in projecting Africa to the world.

I came to Nigeria determined to make the most of an amazing career opportunity in a place that is home in my heart. You have to roll with the punches.
- [14]
- A Quote from her interview on dealing with the challenges of having settled down in Nigeria.

Everything is about the mindset, I find. I choose to remain positive, even in the face of challenges. It’s not easy but it’s an attitude I find gets me through tough times.
- [15]
- A Quote from her interview on dealing with challenges.

People share things innocently believing that it is true but that is how fake news is spread, through inattention and lack of verifying. Check that it is from a credible news source before sharing something online.
- [16]
- A Quote from her interview on how can the world move forward in creating and sharing more honest narratives.

Your life journey will take you on many different paths but you will end up where you are supposed to in the end. Trust the process. Pray always and don’t lose your humanity or compromise who you are in a bid to get to the top.
- [17]
- A Quote from her interview on advice for young women who would like to toe her path in life.

Parents have their own timeline for your life. You must create and embrace yours and BE HAPPY with your choices.
- [18]
- Advising young women against being pressured to wed.

The sadness of an unhappy marriage and home seeps into your soul. It is crushing and turns you into a shell of who you are.
- [19]
- Advising single ladies to be mindful of pressure before marriage.

Some men have funny ideas of how you should act on a date.
- [20]
- Recounting her experience of eating out with a colleague.

Even if you don’t feel like you belong, you have to keep going. Don’t let the feeling of insecurity hold you back.
- [21]
- Admonishing the girls at the Dare2Dream Master Class series to soar and not let anyone or anything put a limit to what they can achieve, no matter their background.

There’s no sliding scale of equality. We are all humans and deserve the same level of humanity.
- [22]
- Reflecting on Black Lives Matter as well as her racial privilege as an African.

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Stephanie Busari