The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) will present a report on gender parity in Nigerian newsrooms and news leadership, titled ‘Who leads the newsrooms and news,’ on Thursday 15 February 2024 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Theophilus Abbah, Programme Director at Daily Trust Foundation, has been confirmed as the book reviewer and Brenda Apata, of the Sustainability Impact Initiative, will moderate the event. Click here to join.
The report which was published as part of the Report Women! Newsroom and News Engagement programme scrutinised women’s representation in Nigerian newsrooms, and leadership roles in select media organisations and aggregated their presence in news coverage and content. It relied on numerical data and provided insights into the status of representation of women in leadership positions within newsrooms and news.
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the WSCIJ hopes the reports triggers conversation and action by relevant stakeholders and draws attention to the need for news media houses to ensure that newsrooms and news have more women as leaders.
In 2017, the Centre conducted a survey on the leadership status of female reporters in newsrooms, revealing gender parity at the mid-career level but a widened gap at the top executive positions. Another study by WSCIJ on gender policies and practices in newsrooms highlights family demands as the primary reason for the absence of women in newsroom leadership.
WSCIJ is dedicated to advancing investigative journalism fostering a socially just community. The Report Women! programme aligns with the organisation’s broader mission of social justice which the media leads.
