The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) is set to launch a source guide website for women experts with over 500 female opinion leaders from different sectors to facilitate their participation as sources in news stories.
The launch is part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of its Women's Report Programme, Motunrayo Alaka, the executive director said in a press release on Tuesday.
The event, scheduled for October 3 in Lagos, is part of the centre’s initiatives created to address the under-representation of women as expert sources in the Nigerian media space.
“The findings of WSCIJ’s 2024 report, Who Leads Newsrooms and the News?, revealed that men are seven times more represented than women as expert or guest sources, at 87.9 percent, while women account for 12.1 percent,” the statement said.
About Source Guide
WSCIJ said the source guide currently has more than 500 experts in various fields, including agriculture, business and economics, education, health and science, law, media, politics and governance, and security.
She noted that the platform aims to ensure that journalists can access relevant female voices across a range of sectors, “making it easier for journalists and media organisations to include female perspectives in their reporting.”
The statement added that the platform will be expanded to include additional fields and will allow experts to submit their profiles for inclusion, “subject to internal approval.”
Article page with promotion of financial support
WSCIJ said: “The public launch of the Women’s Report experts’ reference guide will include a presentation of the website, a demonstration of its use and a panel discussion on its potential impact on promoting gender diversity in the media.
“It is part of WSCIJ’s broader Report Women! News and Newsroom Engagement project, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”
WSCIJ/Women Report
WSCIJ is dedicated to promoting transparency and accountability through investigative journalism.
The Women’s Report, a project of WSCIJ, was designed in 2014 to increase the quality and quantity of reporting on girls and women in Nigeria.
According to the center, the program is designed to equip female journalists with the skills, support and tools necessary to position them in the highest leadership positions in their various media outlets.