Media organisations need to protect journalists from online harassment — UNESCO Communications Officer

Media organisations have been urged to establish formal procedures to protect journalists, particularly women, against online harassment.

Such protection was not just important to enabling the organisations to play their roles effectively, but also necessary for the safety and well-being of journalists, given that technology has become an integral part of media work.

The National Professional Officer for Communication and Information of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Abdul Hamid Yakub, made the call at a two-day training programme in Accra for selected female journalists to prepare them for the December 7 general election.

Training

The training was coordinated by the Alliance for Women in Media, Africa (AWMA) and sponsored by UNESCO.

The objective of the training was to empower female journalists to prepare them to effectively and efficiently cover the 2024 general election.

Safeguards for women

Mr Yakub said UNESCO reinforced the importance of media organisations having gender-sensitive policies both within and without.

“Journalists must be informed of their surroundings and equipped to report accurately. 

“News organisations must establish formal procedures to protect against online harassment, particularly for women.

“Apart from giving an assurance of their safety and well-being, such protection will also make journalists motivated and efficient, knowing they are protected to carry out their mandate,” Mr Yakub emphasised.

He also encouraged the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and AWMA to develop a framework for systematically tracking harassment incidents, recommending that these findings be published regularly or integrated into a national safety monitoring mechanism for media professionals.

This strategic approach, Mr Yakub explained, would create an added layer of accountability, strengthening safeguards for women journalists and fostering a climate where media professionals could operate freely and without fear.

Shifting perspectives

The Dean of the School of Communication Studies at the University of Ghana, Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, highlighted the transformative potential of irregular training for women journalists.
Prof. Gadzekpo, who is also a patron of AWMA, encouraged journalists to embrace the responsibility and privilege of elevating diverse voices in their work.

“As women in media, you are more than observers; you are shapers of our collective narrative. Together, we can shift perspectives and promote a fairer, more representative Ghanaian society.

“This programme, in particular, is an important stride towards ensuring not only the safety of women journalists during elections, but also the amplification of women’s representation.

Women’s voices matter deeply, and through your reporting, we bring balance, perspective and visibility to our nation’s story,” she said.

Safety a priority

The Co-Chairperson of AWMA, Prof. Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, stressed the importance for women journalists to prioritise their welfare and safety as they went about their duties, particularly during the election.

The Convenor for AWMA, Ms Mercy Adjabeng, stated that the objective of the workshop was to train women journalists on their safety as they went through their work in the build-up to, during and after the elections.

She explained that with more women journalists being deployed to cover political assignments but with little or no training, it was necessary to support them with such training, emphasising that their safety was paramount.

She expressed appreciation to UNESCO for the support.