At LightRay Media, we believe that having a clear cut career strategic plan is the vision board every campus, entry-level journos and experienced media practitioners need. Here are Lekan Otufodunrin’s top tips.
The need to have a sexual/harrasment register for lecturers or persons who work within the academia who enable the abuse of the rights of women and girls across secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria has become imperative in line with the VAPP Act (Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act) with a clear mandate given to NAPTIP (National Agency Trafficking of Persons) coming on the heels of the investigation into Prof. Cyril Ndifon.
While the University of Calabar management has proactively addressed the allegations of sexual harassment issue, it should be noted that, although Prof. Cyril Ndifon was suspended over the same issue in 2015 and reinstated, it begs the question of whether due diligence was carried out in the first instance based on rigorous anti-harrassment policies and protocols, or if it was a case of miscarriage of justice against the female students who spoke up against the violation of their human rights.
It should also be noted that two academic staff from the University of Abuja were recently dismissed due to sexual misconduct.
Sexual harassment and sexual gender violence is fast becoming endemic in institutions across Nigeria.
But what do you think can be done to discourage sexual misconduct on campuses as we read further on the decision taken by the authorities of University of Calabar against Prof. Ndifon?
In ancient Nigeria, Palaver was the term used to describe long meetings with all stakeholders across communities and regions where matters of security, economy, values, and jurisprudence concerning all residents and indigines were addressed publicly. The poor and the rich both had a say – everyone’s voice mattered. Today, such gatherings are politically and socio-economically refered to as townhall meetings. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu is in line with our editorial thrust at LightRay Media to #BrinkBackTownhallMeetings in this report.
In Nigeria, abuse and disrespect for journalists by officials of government and agencies are common place even though the Nigeria Constitution describes the role of the media and journalists at the realm of the 4th Estate having the same legislative powers and significance as the judiciary, legislative and executive.
At LightRay Media, we are championining the need to have a legal framework and clearly defined policies that protects the lives and properties of journalists against the impunity of government officials, which has finally come to a head.
Journalists who are frontliners and first respondents amplify the voices of victims and survivors of police brutality and abusesof office by many a government official against citizens, hence they must be giving their the respect and pride of place as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Rublic of Nigeria.
The onus is now on the Nigeria National Assembly to review the Constitution on the safety and protection of journalists.
Deputy speaker, Kalu, emphasised that the recovery of funds forfeited and abandoned in financial institutions and government agencies will rejuvenate Nigeria’s economy amidst ongoing economic trials.
The sexualisation of children is more rampant than ever before. In this report, by Ejiro Umukoro, a follow-up to her Pulitzer Centre Outbreak series, we trace back how the lockdown of 2020 recorded a spike in the surge of grooming and sexualisation of children.
While April 11 is marked every year as the day to protect the child, in 2023 however, child porn, sexual grooming and sexualisation of children continues to persist. This investigatve report uncovers the root causes, triggers, enabling factors and solutions to meeting the deadline for the prevention and stoppage of child abuses of all forms as mandated by the UNDP SDG goals on gender equality, peace, justice, and strong institutions.
The killings, coming 24 hours after the collapsed mosques with over 12 persons affected, raises security concerns that must be addressed with immediate effect.
As the world marks International Youth Day, Nigeria is among the top three countries with the highest number of yourhful population. Speaker Abbas, of the House of Representatives on this occasion, highlights the need to create enabling environments that will tap into over 70 million youth in Nigeria for a richer block of wealth through skills and talent development to close the job gaps.
Editorial Thrust by Lady Ejiro Umukoro.
As audiences evolve and adapt to what, why, and how they consume news, this raises the bar for journalists on the need to adopt a new style of reportage: constructive journalism. Research shows people want fresh social stories. Not only gloom and doom.
As such, the lingering emotions a reader should have after reading a news article or investigative report should not be pity. They are not victims but people with complicated lives.
This therefore requires that journalists amd media owners constantly seek stories about hero’s, survival, a vigilante who came to the rescue, what state authorities are doing to prevent reoccurrence, survival mechanism adopted, how they are rehabilitating themselves, and much more. Readers want to consume stories like these, too.*
GENDER ANGLE:
While 92% of men and 8% of women are reported on by journalists and the media, yet more than 40% of those affected as victims, persons displaced, etc., are women.
This implies there aren’t a lot of women reporting on conflicts as it is often seen, assumed, or considered not safe and easy for women. Editors, thus, influence how voices of women are reported by when they prevent female journalists from covering these. Conservatism in the newsroom is now a barrier on open mindedness that needs to be removed.
It has now become imperative, therefore, that the media and journalists alike must become deliberate and intentional in including women voices in report for equal representation.