World Days abound for many good courses. The 2024 World Zero Discrimination Day commemorated recently on the right of every individual to lead a dignified and productive life and today’s International Women’s Day (IWD) for instance serve as opportunity for the news media, civil society organisations, international bodies, and government agencies to make intervention on the issues the days remind us of and work on making necessary changes.
For the IWD, beyond the routine commemoration, we must be intentional to address the disparities between men and women and stamp out all forms of gender-based violence if we want this day to count for something. The recently launched report – ‘Who leads the newsroom and news?‘ by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) showed a huge disparity in gender representation in newsrooms and news leadership roles across various Nigerian media organisations. The media may start by implementing the recommendations proposed.
On other fronts, as part of WSCIJ efforts to promote investigative journalism, we trained 18 students of journalism from Lagos State University, University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology and Nigerian Institute of Journalism on local reporting. On Friday, March 1st, the WSCIJ team virtually visited the Kanem Press Digital Hub based in Borno state, to assess the organisation’s work under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) and provide guidance on how it may improve its focus on reporting on ancient monuments in Borno and reporting in a difficult terrain.
Meanwhile, the centre has opened another opportunity for Report Women! Female Reporters Leadership Programme Fellows to apply for story and leadership project support under our Champion Building component of the Report Women! News and Newsrooms Engagement project. It will give opportunity for the fellows to build on their leadership skills and tell stories of girls and women courtesy of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Look out for the piece on the ‘Art of story planning’ in this edition of the newsletter. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting your storytelling journey, you can discover strategies to craft compelling stories and elevate your craft to a new height. We also have a collation of media opportunities for your use.
Enjoy the read.
Signed
Motunrayo Alaka
Executive Director/CEO, WSCIJ
