TRAINING ON GENDER SENSITIVE REPORTING INSPIRES CHANGE IN MEDIA PROGRAMS:

There has been an increase in the number of media houses in Uganda with knowledge
and skills on gender sensitive reporting. This growth has increased the media footprint
and evolved its traditional role of informing, educating and entertaining which has
influenced perception on how the public thinks and reacts to situations concerning
gender and development, WPS agenda among other human rights issues.

CoACT has continuously engaged journalists (targeting reporters, editors, in print, radio
and television). In order to promote gender sensitive reporting on women, peace and
security (WPS) issues, increase the knowledge and skills on gender sensitive reporting
on WPS issues. CoACT organized a training of journalists who were drawn from across
the country national and district level media houses including ; Radio one, Simba FM,
Hot 100 FM, CBS FM, NBS TV, Arua 1 FM, Tembo FM, ETOP FM, and Messiah FM.

John Achoda, a news reporter at ETOP FM in Amuria District, committed himself after
the training to make fair and accurate writings of stories about gender and conflict
sensitive reporting and mobilize women to always share their views and analysis during
interviews, debates and other discussions. John acknowledges that the training was a
game changer as far as his understanding on gender issues and reporting were
concerned,”I did not have knowledge about gender and could not relate it to
journalism, but from the training I have learnt that gender sensitive reporting is
key and this will influence how I balance my documenting news bytes and
reporting”.

The training also caused journalists to appreciate the need to have all voices heard,
editorial policies that take into account gender equality and embed gender concerns in
programming, management and news reporting. As part of action planning, Journalists
have continued to organize and engage fellow staff and top management on the need
to conduct business differently with a gender lens. This has sparked new positive shifts
at different media houses. For example, Tembo FM’s management in Kitgum district
appreciated the need to recruit more female news reporters and include women
panelists on the station’s political talk shows which, had been dominated by men.

Today, Tembo has become more deliberate in relaying gender-sensitive news stories,
increasing coverage of issues salient to women and reflecting more female voices in its
content.