Anthonia Duru
Journalist have been urged to use gender specific terms in all gender related reports.
This charge was given at the opening session of Gender Reporting training for Media Professionals (GRMP) organized by Tech Her funded by Ford Foundation and supported by European Union and British Council.
Media entrepreneur and founder of Datphyte, Joshua Olufemi while speaking said that gender reporting is amplifying the voices of women and men making sure their voices are strong. “stop stigmatizing women and involve women. A gender vocabulary is necessary in all newsrooms to balance gender reporting; it is important to reconstruct the social construction to fit gender reporting.”
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The project Lead, Gender Reporting For Media Professional TechHerNG, Kawthar Ahmed at the two-day intensive workshop held in Abuja said that the objective of the workshop is to create and mobilise demand for the fair and balanced portrayal of women in Media, train at least 60 media professionals in gender balanced communication across the country, transform social commentary around gender-based issues by simulating gender balanced news reports and to contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria.
GRFP had 30 Nigerian journalists in attendance who were selected across the country. Several facilitators trained participants cutting across newsrooms on how to carry out gender-based and balanced reporting.
Journalists at the workshop were trained on appropriate languages to be used when reporting gender-sensitive stories, good and bad representation of women in the media, as well as challenges journalists encounter during reporting gender-related stories.
Head of operations and editorial manager for the digital division of The Guardian Newspaper, Lolade Nwanze who was one of the facilitators at the workshop urged media practitioners to be sensitive in their Reporting and stop putting blame on rape victims when filling news reports.
“It is the authority behind our stories that makes it different even though we need to censor ourselves, if we have to practice journalism we need to be ready for it because there is always heat in the kitchen.” Nwanze said.
Nwanze enjoined all to involve women in management of newsrooms and decision making to address imbalances and pledged commitment towards improved and adequate reportage for the vulnerable in the society.
Other facilitators at the workshop includes; Toketemu Ohwovoriole, investigative journalist and actress Dorothy Njemane and Africa Features producer of CNN Aisha Salaudeen.
