Call For Applications – Responsible Reporting on SOGIESC Workshop

Media portrayals and reporting of issues about sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) are incredibly powerful in educating and influencing the public. When done responsibly, the media can be a valuable tool for raising awareness, challenging attitudes and helping to dispel myths. It can give persons who have diverse sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics a platform and offer insight for the public into their specific issues that they may have known little about. In the same vein, sensationalist journalism can be dangerous and place these communities at risk.

The Initiative for Equal Rights is committed to working with the Nigerian media and press to improve the quality of portrayals about SOGIESC. In the past, we have done this by working with Nigerian media professionals to produce feature-length movies, short films, documentaries, talk shows, web series and books that aim to educate the public about persons with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics and their lived experiences in Nigeria.

Our first Responsible Reporting on SOGIESC Workshop aims to promote informed reporting on, and increased understanding of, persons with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics — and on issues relating to those persons. While it is important that the press maintains its freedom to inform and examine issues, it is also important that there is an awareness of the harmful impact that sensationalist reporting can have on individuals and communities. This workshop will help journalists and publications to improve standards of reporting so as not to worsen, even unintentionally, particular concerns faced by such persons.

We are hereby calling for applications from Lagos-based journalists for our 2-day Responsible Reporting on SOGIESC Workshop which will be facilitated by experienced Journalists and human rights activists.

The Deadline For Application is September 25th, 2020

LINK TO APPLY