The International Press Centre (IPC) has launched four series of specialised skill-enhancing sessions to equip and enable female journalists to report public interest issues around the 2023 electoral process from a deepened gender perspective and use data skills and investigative methods to challenge stereotypical reporting of the electoral process.
In a press release issued by Olutoyin Ayoade, IPC’s Communications Officer, the Group noted that the training is organised in partnership with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).
The first leg of the training was held in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, on 7 November 2022 with 32 female journalists in attendance, predominantly from the southern parts of the country, while the second training which is expected to be attended by 35 female journalists selected from the northern parts of the country, will be held in Abuja on 21 November 2022.
The Executive Director IPC, Mr Larne Arogundade in a statement said that “within the framework of supporting the media by improving the gender stereotyped representations of women’s political participation, the skill-enhancing session for the journalists is imperative to re-direct and prospect opportunities for new impactful and professional reporting of the electoral process while empowering female journalists as agents of change”.
The IPC initiative aims to position female journalists to deliver impactful, public-interest and investigative reporting of the electoral process especially by incorporating the use of data tools in reporting the electoral process and the elections. The sessions are targeted to place female journalists at the frontline of election reporting to write and produce special reports that are professional, inclusive, conflict-sensitive, fact-checked and data-driven.
Participants at the training would be required to pitch impactful story ideas for which the resource person shall be providing a mentorship guide and editorial assistance.
Mrs Motunrayo Joel, Deputy Editor Africa- Check, Nigeria, Dr Titi Osuagwu, University of Port- Harcourt, and Taiwo Obe, Founder Journalism Clinic, facilitated the first training in Port-Harcourt.
Mrs Moji Makanjuola, CEO, the International Society of Media in Public Health, David Ajikobi, Nigeria Editor, Africa Check, and Taiwo Obe, Founder of Journalism Clinic, will facilitate the upcoming training in Abuja.
IPC plans to train and mentor a total of 140 female journalists drawn from the print, online and broadcast media hubs during the pre and post elections cycles.