Female journalists in Africa face a unique set of challenges, including online harassment that seeks to silence their voices and hinder their ability to report effectively. Online attacks and smear campaigns targeting journalists not only risk generating self-censorship, but studies have shown they can also lead to physical attacks and threats. 

IPI research has also shown a close link between online harassment and the spread of disinformation, as these tend to be two sides of the same coin. Online harassment takes in most cases the shape of disinformation, as it spreads misleading and false information about the journalists who are targeted. And the spread of disinformation is facilitated by the diminished trust in independent journalism generated by online harassment.

It is against this background that IPI in collaboration with the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT-Kenya) is hosting a training webinar for female journalists across Africa on navigating and mitigating online harassment.

This webinar aims to equip participants with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to identify, mitigate, and respond to online harassment, fostering a safer and more inclusive digital environment for journalism practice.

This workshop will be held on
Friday, March 22, 2024
at 12 PM EAT/ 10 AM CET/ 11 AM CAT

This training will:

• Raise awareness of various forms of online harassment and their impact on female journalists.
• Develop knowledge and skills to identify and report instances of online harassment.
• Explore strategies for mitigating and responding to online harassment, including self-care practices and platform-specific tools.
• Foster peer support and networking among female journalists, creating a safe space for sharing experiences and building solidarity.

Trainers:

• Grace Githaiga, Convener of KICTANET, International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IARWT) Kenya
• Javier Luque, Head of Digital Communications, International Press Institute (IPI)
  
  Host: Nompilo Simanje, Africa Advocacy and Partnerships Lead, International Press Institute 

Meet the Trainer:

Grace Githaiga, is the Convenor at the multi-stakeholder ICT Policy and Regulation advocacy think tank, KICTANet. In addition to her role at KICTANet, Grace is a respected advocate for public interest in tech policy, stakeholder engagement, digital rights, and broader human rights. She has conducted research and training in various ICT and media subjects, mainstreaming gender in digital rights, human rights online, etc. She also hosts Take on Tech, a weekly TV talk show that breaks down tech topics in a non-tech way at Kenya’s public broadcaster, the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

Javier Luque is the Head of Digital Communications for the International Press Institute, where he coordinates advocacy and communication on IPI’s digital platforms. He has worked on the issue of online hate against journalists and media organisations since 2014. His research on this topic has been quoted by media worldwide such as The Guardian, The British Journalism Review and Bloomberg News. In 2018, he directed “A Dark Place”, his third film documentary, which premiered at Vienna’s This Human World film festival. He has also worked as a consultant for the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media for their project on Safety of Female Journalists Online. Before joining IPI, Javier worked as a broadcast and multimedia journalist for local and international news organisations.

Who is this webinar for?

The training is open to female journalists from across Africa working in various media platforms both traditional and online. Female freelance journalists and early-career to mid-career female journalists are encouraged to attend.