The Backstory is a podcast for journalists, editors & anyone interested in the backstory of how news is reported, presented & published. Created by WAN-IFRA, it is now in its third season.
Season 3, Episode 6: Wellbeing and resilience: How women journalists are navigating COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has focused attention on issues that have been taboo in many newsrooms for a long time: mental wellbeing, stress management, technological burnout and limits between personal and professional life. For women journalists in particular, where there is an expectation to remain productive under demanding circumstances, these challenges have been compounded. What can journalists to improve their own wellbeing and resilience? And what should editors and managers be doing to better support their teams?
Join us for this last episode of Season 3 of The Backstory. See you soon for Season 4!
In this episode:
- Mar Cabra (twitter.com/cabralens), Pulitzer prize-winning data journalist and founder of The Self-Investigation (theselfinvestigation.com)
- Tamala Chirwa, Director of Operations and People, Women in News programme
- Ritu Kapur (twitter.com/kapur_ritu), Founder and CEO of The Quint (thequint.com), India
Season 3, Episode 5: You better be prepared: addressing sexual harassment in the media
Sexual harassment happens everywhere, and media organisations are not immune. Addressing it is good for journalists, and for the media business in general. How can organisations create a work culture where sexual harassment does not happen? How can they identify it, and address it when it does happen?
In this episode:
- Carin Andersson, Human Resources consultant and former HR Director at MittMediaAB, Sweden (mittmedia.se)
- Collin Haba, CEO, The New Times, Rwanda (www.newtimes.co.rw/)
- Melanie Walker, Executive director of Media Development and Women in News (WIN), WAN-IFRA.
- Myra Abdallah, Lebanese journalist and Arab region trainer on Sexual Harassment for WIN
Season 3, Episode 4: Reporting on injustice: women journalists championing change
Journalists should be committed to reporting facts and presenting the news in an honest way. But when they use their reporting to give a voice to those who are under-represented – to victims instead of perpetrators – they have the power to create social change. In this episode, four journalists from Latin America, the Middle East and Africa talk about the unique opportunities they have as women to make a difference in their societies through their reporting on climate change, indigenous communities, migration, press freedom, health and women’s rights.
This season of The Backstory is produced in partnership with WAN-IFRA’s Women in News programme, a ground-breaking effort to promote gender equality throughout the news industry.
In this episode:
- Nina Lakhani, environmental reporter for The Guardian, formerly in Mexico and Central America
- Diana Moukalled, co-founder of Daraj, independent media platform in Lebanon
- Margaret Ngonga, co-founder, The Ridgeway Sun, online magazine diffusing health information from Zambia
- Limbikani Kamlongera, communication for development expert, board member of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, and WIN coach
For resources and tips visit WAN-IFRA’s press freedom page and the Women in News page.
The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who mixed the episode.
Season 3, Episode 3: Women journalists taking on tech
Technology has revolutionised how we get our news. Data visualisation and multimedia are increasingly used to tell stories, and coding is no longer just for computer scientists. But when it comes to working with digital technology, in most newsrooms men outnumber women. Why are men still dominating this field? And what does it take for women to get ahead?
In this episode, four women from the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and North America talk about how they beat the odds to work with technology — and why it’s so important for women to aim for these positions and bring new perspectives into the world of tech.
This season of The Backstory is produced in partnership with WAN-IFRA’s Women in News programme, a ground-breaking effort to promote gender equality throughout the news industry.
In this episode:
- Mariana Santos, founder, Chicas Poderosas, training women in digital media and leadership skills across Latin America
- Catherine Gicheru, ICFJ Knight Fellow, Co-founder @PesaCheck, Founding editor @TheStarKenya*
- Chayma Mehdi, head of the Innovation Lab, Inkyfada, Tunis, Tunisia
- Sonali Verma, senior product manager of analytics, Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada
* At the time of interview, Catherine was senior programme manager at Code for Africa
For resources and tips visit WAN-IFRA’s press freedom page and the Women in News page.
The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who mixed the episode.
Music in this episode: Gaia by Soularflair.
Season 3, Episode 2: Women leading women in the news
Women in leadership, diversity in the workplace – these are catchphrases that media organisations are talking about, but what do they mean? Why is it important to have women in top positions? And who are the women who are already there?
In this episode, three women who have made it to the top echelons of their media organisations in Africa, the Middle East and Europe talk about what it took to get there and what they are doing to change things for other women who follow in their paths.
Listen directly online, or subscribe to ensure you don’t miss an episode. The following links will take you directly to iTunes or Stitcher.
This season of The Backstory is produced in partnership with WAN-IFRA’s Women in News (WiN) programme, a ground-breaking effort to promote gender equality throughout the news industry.
In this episode:
- Pamella Sittoni, Executive Editor, Daily Nation group and Managing Editor, Daily Nation, Kenya
- Acil Tabbara, senior editor, L’Orient Le Jour, Lebanon, former AFP Gulf and Yemen bureau chief
- Helje Solberg, News director, NRK, Norway
For resources and tips visit Wan-Ifra’s press freedom page and the WiN page.
The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.
Music in this episode: One And by Broke for Free.
Season 3, Episode 1: Where are the women? Finding gender balance in the news
Often, without even realising it, much of the media we consume is dominated by men. Men’s voices and men’s perspectives account for roughly 75% of the news. Yet, women make up half the population. Research has shown that stories that feature women are more widely read by women. So, why does this imbalance persist and how can news organisations shift how they represent women?
Listen to how some have done it, with tips on measuring the problem, and ways to fix it.
This season of The Backstory is produced in partnership with WAN-IFRA’s Women in News (WiN) programme, a ground-breaking effort to promote gender equality throughout the news industry.
In this episode:
- Kesewa Henessey, Digital editor for engagement, Financial Times.
- Vincent Kahiya, veteran journalist in Zimbabwe, lead trainer, Women in News programme.
- Mona Magdy, lead trainer, Women in News programme, MENA region.
For resources and tips visit Wan-Ifra’s press freedom page and the WiN page.
The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode. Music in this episode: Juparo by Broke for Free.
