Female media practitioners have been urged to upscale their capacity as well as their competence while delivering their jobs especially in the newsroom. This clarion call was made during a one day leadership seminar organised for practicing female journalists in Rivers state. The program was organized by Female Reporters Leadership Programme, FRLP, with the theme: factors challenging the rise of female journalists in leading newsroom.
The seminar took place at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ secretariat conference hall, Port Harcourt.
The keynote speaker at the event was Pastor Ann Godwin, Rivers State correspondent, the Guardian Newspaper, who is also the executive director step-up-media, a non-profit organization geared towards enhancing the capacity of female journalists in Rivers State.
She commended African Women who are making progress in their chosen profession, but noted that there are still glitches, and hindrances holding women back. “There is retrogression, we are not there yet,” she said.
Pointing out few factors that are impeding the rise of women in the media space, she listed the non passage of the Gender Bill (a major factor). She used the medium to call on the National Assembly to facilitate the passage of the bill, as it will aid the progress of female professionals, especially in the media industry.
Another factor impeding the rise of women in the newsroom she said is, the unconscious excuses by female journalists. She said this flimsy excuses of women at workplace contributes to women’s inadequacy in doing their jobs. It plays down their rise in leadership in the newsroom. “We play gender card unconsciously. The unconscious excuses by women, indicates that men can do better. Meanwhile, decision makers analyse and at the end givs more opportunities and credit to the men”
She advised women to put up more energy in their work and eschew playing gender card, as it weakens the rise in leadership position of women in the industry/ “If you prove that you’re outstanding, you will be sought after. So prove to them that you are able”
She added that other factors challenging the leadership of women in the newsroom are inferiority complex (unwillingness to learn), lack of interest drive( push forward, don’t wait to be assigned to a beat), lack of interest in award and fellowship (industries are looking for those that are outstanding in their work).
In upscaling women’s competence and relevance in the media industry, especially in the newsroom, she advised participants to enhance their visibility, learn how to pitch, by learning how to market themselves. “Growth is intentional, growth is not magic. You must be deliberate, you must push yourself ,” she said.
She also advised, other bigwig female media professionals to make themselves accessible to those who would want to learn and grow through their tutelage.
“We should be pragmatic, we should be resilient and keep pushing, until we get there,” she said.
On her part, the special guest of honour at the event, Mrs. Stella Din-Jacob, director of news TVC communications, while responding to questions by journalists at the sideline of the event, used the medium to advise older and experienced professionals to always make themselves available and ready to help other female colleagues, whenever they are approached for help.
She said, “I always like to play down this women, women issue because, there are times when some women unfortunately can be petty; there are times when you have women in leadership positions who basically are professionals and do not look at you as a woman, when they’re trying to explain certain things to you. Some just decide to use it as an excuse and in giving it as an excuse, you give room for people to think women can not work together. Women work very well together, for as long as you understand yourselves, you don’t take it for granted”
She also admonished female journalists for giving untameable excuses in carrying their assignments duly. “You want to be considered when it is time for promotion and to put you in leadership position, when you have not demonstrated that you, can effectively strike a work life balance in what you’re doing.’
She said it is difficult for even a man to rise in the profession, regardless, the society traditionally would want to impose glass ceilings for women, regardless of the challenges.
She urged women to stay focused and keep themselves on the right trajectory, ignore distractions that will seem to derail them. Adding that, for as long as they push every fiber of their being into their work, and understand the dictate of their job(s) description or what their job entails, they will soar heights of leadership in their profession.
On her part, the convener of the seminar, Ms. Karina Igonikon, a journalist, said the event was spurred after her participation at a media leadership fellowship hosted by the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (Report Women, Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship).
She said the programme was convened basically to interrogate and address challenges impeding women advancement in the newsroom, also to build female champions, that will lead reports and impact in the media industry, especially in the newsroom.
“We found out there are a lot of women journalists. Of course, women make up the newsroom. But when it comes to leading the newsroom, you see that there is bias, and so, we want to interrogate what the challenges are. We believe, once the challenges are identified, we can now proffer solution to them and when we proffer solution to them, we want to conscientize them and sensitize them with the fact that, inasmuch as you want to be counted, you have to build your capacity to be counted; you have to build your capacity to fit into that position when the opportunity comes.”
The seminar was attended by female journalists in Rivers state, as well as media veterans.
Highlights of the event, were a three-man panel discussants, made up of seasoned media practitioners, Chioma Ezenwafor of Cool/Wazobia FM/ Nigeria Info, Clarice Azuatalam of Verbatim Magazine. They all advised women to continuously enhance their career competence and stay focussed.
