Journalists trained on gender sensitive journalism; media ethics and diversity
KATHMANDU/January 23: Media Action Nepal (MAN), with the support of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), organized the first-phase two-day long seven separate province level training webinars on ‘gender-sensitive journalism.’ A total of 140 journalists, including 78 women from 58 districts of seven provinces of Nepal, participated in these training webinars held from January 8 to 22, 2022.
The participating journalists represented 13 national level media and 127 provincial media outlets including 16 television channels, 41 newspapers, 44 online news portals, two news agencies and a freelancer.
Organized under the CFLI supported project ‘Promoting gender sensitivity in the media content and newsroom operations through capacity building of journalists in Nepal’, these training webinars have strengthened the capacity of journalists and stimulated exchange of gender sensitivity among them to understand, prepare and disseminate diverse gender dimensions in media reporting.
The first-lot training webinars were focused on issues such as understanding media ethics and diversity, gender sensitive media indicators, sexual and reproductive health, and rights (SRHR) related violence, and the approaches to preventing gendered disinformation. Based on the ‘handbook on gender sensitive journalism’, the training sessions were facilitated by Laxman Datt Pant, Global Journalism Trainer and the Chairperson of MAN, Dr. Samiksha Koirala, Gender and Media Expert, and Manju Karmacharya, Gender and SRHR Expert.
With a minimal technical glitches in some of the training webinars i.e. in Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces, participants in all provinces interacted with great zeal and sought tips to overcome difficulties in reporting the very sensitive issues concerning gender identity, sexual harassment, SRHR related violence, safety of victims, privacy of the sources, and shared the local contexts of the gender diversity and representations.
Facilitating the sessions on media ethics and diversity, Pant highlighted professional standards in media, self-regulation of media content and encouraged participants to focus on exposing the perpetrators instead of sensationalizing the issue that further victimizes the survivors, and victims. Similarly, Dr. Koirala enlightened participants with indicators for promoting gender sensitivity both through media content and the equal representation of women in newsrooms. Karmacharya introduced participants with national and international tools on promoting SRHR and preventing gender-based violence. She reminded journalists of their role in meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 that aims to reduce maternal death below 70 per 100,000 live birth by 2030.
While both male and female journalists raised questions on appropriate use of the gender related terminologies and ways to overcome gender stereotypes in media, the majority of the female participants were concerned about their equal, meaningful and dignified participation in the newsrooms, gender friendly media environment and issues concerning equal pay policy. Female journalists also shared their experience of working in media, and the harassment they face from fellow journalists.
This training was very insightful in understanding ethical aspects and the gender sensitive indicators in media, and I look forward to receiving more tips in promoting gendered media during the second-lot training, shared Uma Ale, a journalist working in Kaski district of the Gandaki Province. The training was really impressive, I came to know that there were many gender issues that we have felt but ignored to give space in our writing, responded Reena Thapa of the same province. I was confused on gender issues before but now I am able to understand these issues better. This training has motivated me further to write more and dig deep, added Kaveeta Gharti Magar.
Chadani Kathayat, a journalist based in Karnali province shared that her fellow journalists in the remotest mountainous districts of the province have rarely been exposed to such training hence know very little about the issues of gender sensitivity. Discrimination continues in newsrooms that range from unequal pay to biased work division, she lamented. In the absence of specific gender policy, women remain out of the leadership roles in media. This has resulted into poor reporting on issues of equal rights to women and people with different sexual orientations, she added.
As part of the follow-up work, all participating journalists have been assigned to observe news and media content for a week following the gender sensitive media indicators and submit two pitches for their stories they would be doing as part of their fellowship tasks covering dimensions of gender equality.
These training webinars were organized on January 8 and 9 in Bagmati Province, 10 and 11 in Province 1, 12 and 13 in Madhesh Province, 14 and 15 in Gandaki Province, 16 and 17 in Lumbini Province, 18 and 19 in Karnali Province, and 21 and 22 in Sudurpashchim Province. The second-lot follow up training webinars for the same groups will take place from February 1 to 14, 2022 followed by a mentoring session to 30 successful gender and media champions.
