By Theresa Moses
The media has been urged to portray the image of women and girls with dignity in all circumstances, either good, bad or terrible.
Mrs. Ejiofor Blessing, Advocacy, Media and External Communication Officer, UNICEF stated this on Wednesday during a 4-day Media Dialogue with Media Practitioners on Ethical Reporting and Advocacy to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls.
The programme, jointly sponsored programme by the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN), Spotlight Initiative Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is taking place in Lagos.
According to her, “Images of women, girls and children in media reports can be powerful and have significant impact on people. However, the key thing is to represent them with dignity in all circumstances.”
In her conversation with journalists on “Guildline for Photography – Social Guildlines for Photographing Women and Children,” Ejiofor admitted that there’s a challenge in gender reporting but should strive to alternate angles and shots in their reportage as ethical media practitioners.
“Avoid images that stereotype women and girls, strive to alternate angles and shots in your reports as journalists. The media is known to deplete images of women and girls in telling a story of war, disaster, physical, emotional abuse, molestation etc, when in reality everyone is affected. Change the narrative by using images of women and girls in reporting achievers in Engineering, Sports, Music, Science, etc”
The communication expert, therefore, adviced journalists to look beyond the sensational headlines, reports and always remember that those women and girls whose rape, sexual molestation stories have earned you promotion at work place also have a life to live after the stories have been published.
She urged them to, rather consider the long term implications it’s going to have on the survivors as the internet never forgets.
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