July 2020 Issue
In this issue, we interview with journalist Polly Irungu, examine press freedom in Kashmir, speak to women journalists on the financial fallout of COVID-19, and feature a report on Sri Lankan women journalists covering coronavirus. Go read.
Editor’s Note
Hello readers,
We hope you are all safe and healthy.
The recent explosions in Beirut have left us all in shock. We are saddened by this moment of pain that has deepened after months and years of struggle in that country.
Lebanon is a hub for many foreign correspondents covering the wider region of the Middle East, along with thousands of local journalists, it is also home to many refugees and international journalists. The events that unfolded affected millions of lives, displacing at least 300,000 people, causing massive citywide destruction and human injuries that have flooded the hospitals. Covering this traumatic calamity has been the journalists who bring you the news, amidst own injuries and without roof.
Many of them include Lebanese women reporters, as well as dozens of foreign correspondents in Beirut.
On our website you can find their bylines, profiles and follow their work. Our page dedicated to Beirut explosion coverage also includes resources safety guidelines, funds and other materials that focuses on women in the field. Find all our material on #BeirutBlasts here.
In the midst of all the chaos that the world continues to witness, we haven’t stopped working to bring important stories about women journalists from the world to you, in our latest issue of Women In Journalism Magazine.
July was a tumultuous month for women journalists across the world. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) documented at least 65 different cases of violations against women journalists. 43 of these were direct threat and intimidation, including four deaths. The rest were legal actions, arrests and detentions. Mass resignations at the most read online media called Index in which 70 Hungarian journalists, 20 of them women, walked out to protest political interference in the media and unfair sacking of the outlet’s editor-in-chief Szabolcs Dull. We also observed some cases of state oppression and journalists attacked in the field for their Covid-19 reporting. Read more about the threats in our monthly round up section to learn more.
We remain committed to use our platform to amplify the voices of Black women journalists. In this issue, you can read our interview with multimedia journalists Polly Irungu, who is also the founder of Black Women Photographers (BWP), a community and online database of Black women photographers. Polly tells us what motivated her to start BWP, how it’ll help the women it is committed to serve and how it’ll help diversify the industry. We also feature four Black women journalists whose work you can follow by reading more about them in this issue.
It has been over a year since journalists in Jammu and Kashmir have been living and working under a lockdown. Since the situation continues to remain the same this year too, we decided to explore the state of press freedom in the valley. Our researcher and writer, Rabia Mushtaq, spoke with three women journalists to understand how they navigate reporting under the restrictions imposed on them for the past one year and what it’s like to work in the valley as a woman journalist given its social and political dynamics.
Our research coordinator Zeynep Gürcan wrote an op-ed about the link between journalism and mental health in this issue. She examines whether the profession makes journalists vulnerable to mental illnesses or not using references from Elizabeth Wurtzel’s Prozac Nation.
We all know how Covid-19 has knocked-down economies across the world. Journalism and journalists - especially those working as freelancers, have also been hit hard by the consequences of the global pandemic. CFWIJ reached out to women journalists and asked how the pandemic has had a negative impact on their finances. From its effects on their mental health to a gloomy future ahead, women journalists have shared how they’ve felt Covid-19’s heat on themselves.
This issue also features a report by the Center for Media & Information Literacy (CMIL) on young Sri Lankan women journalists covering Covid-19 using their mobile phones. The report features at least 20 reporters who have been on the frontlines producing stories on coronavirus across Sri Lanka.
In July, we also joined a 60-organization’s coalition to raise our collective voices against the law being weaponized to silence Maria Ressa, a long-time journalist and CEO of Rappler - an online news website based in the Philippines. Do take a look at our dedicated webpage to follow developments on Maria’s case. To support Maria, we urge you to sign the petition here.
You can also go through our other regular sections to find books written by badass Black women authors and podcast recommendations to give you some insight about the Black community in various aspects of life.
We would love to hear back from you with feedback, suggestions or support.
Until then,
Happy Reading!
Kiran Nazish, Executive Editor
Rabia Mushtaq, Editor and Writer
Damla Tarhan, Design
Zeynep Gurcan, Contributions
Index
Polly Irungu – Leading The Black Women Photographers’ Sisterhood
As momentum around the #BlackLivesMatter protests grew with time, discourse around the need for diversity and inclusion in different industries began. In the midst of this discussion, CFWIJ discovered Black Women Photographers (BWP) by multimedia journalist Polly Irungu. Polly, who works as a digital content editor at The Takeaway — a morning radio news program co-created and co-produced by Public Radio International and WNYC — by day, is the founder of BWP, a community and online database of Black women photographers.
PHOTO CREDIT: MICKEY STELLAVATO
With a four-year-old Polly in tow, her parents migrated from Nairobi in Kenya to Kansas in the United States of America. Polly who grew up with a traditional Kenyan upbringing was in for another change when her family moved to Portland in Oregon after her freshman year of high school. This was where she discovered her love for photography. Following the culture shock of not having many Black folks or people of color around, Polly felt like “a fish out of water” because she found the state to be predominantly white. Polly said that she was “stuck and didn’t know what to do”. But she saw herself getting back on her feet after moving to Eugene the following year, after receiving some much-needed support from her head school councilors.
PHOTO CREDIT: MICKEY STELLAVATO
From thereon, Polly has never looked back. She realized the power of visual storytelling and invested her hard-earned savings to buy a camera. She began shooting and practicing. While doing so, she enrolled to study journalism at the University of Oregon. However, Polly barely came across Black photographers, especially Black women photographers. She was the go-to photographer for the Black Students Association Club, African Students Association Club, and other multicultural organizations in Oregon and Kansas.
But it wasn’t until her undergrad when she attended a conference by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Here, she found that she wasn’t the only Black photographer or journalist out there, that there were many others who looked like her and were doing what she was interested in — something she hardly came across at her university campus.
This became her motivation to establish BWP. “I shouldn’t have had to travel and attend a conference in a different state to find (people like me), and to feel that I can actually pursue this field,” she said. This drive to amplify the voices of Black women photographers led Polly to launch BWP. Presently, Polly is getting a lot of reception from photo editors and heads of content, who are looking at her website and using it as a resource. She continues to update it with portfolios of brilliant Black women photographers, who now have a platform that features their work without any discrimination whatsoever.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism found this initiative by Polly unique and praiseworthy. We had a chat with her to understand how BWP works to promote diversity, how she plans to sustain it, the inclusion of Black women photographers in the US media industry, and the significance of her platform, especially during a time when discourse about racial identity and discrimination involving the Black community continues around the world. Read on.
There are many databases and platforms that focus on promoting diversity in the photography industry. What sets Black Women Photographers apart from the rest of the initiatives?
I wouldn’t say I’m setting myself apart necessarily. We all have the same goal. We all want more black people and black women (to be in the industry). I just want to help others that feel like how I felt (in the past). Outside of going to NABJ, I felt stuck and didn’t know where to turn. All these different organizations can help you, but no one is going to do that unless you have a mentor. So anyone who feels like they need support, I hope I’m a resource to them.
We feel like we have this responsibility to (amplify the voices). This should not be on me or any of the other organizations to do this work. But in this predominantly white industry, if we don’t do it, then who will? Who will advocate for us? Who will make sure more black women get hired? So this is my way of trying to do my part.
You’re currently relying on donations to keep the platform up and running. How do you think the platform will help Black women photographers on a long-term basis?
Actually, I received one donation for the administrative cost from Women Photograph. Other than that, I have been using my own money to fund this. That just shows how much I believe in this. The donations and fundraising are specifically for Black women who just need relief because they have been out of work and require support. So that’s where the money is going.
Do you have any plans to sustain the initiative?
I have been reaching out to different brands and organizations for support because my Covid-19 relief fund is small — like a couple of hundred dollars. I want to provide more money into the hands of these Black women who need the support because the playing field isn’t leveled right now, but at least with that, it can help them get a little bit closer. It can help them buy an Adobe subscription or buy a domain name for their website because a lot of them are just using Instagram as their portfolios. We know how vital it is to have an actual portfolio if they want to pitch to editors. With my database, I’m actually trying to track how often these Black women are contacted, do they hear from someone once a month or once a week, and how useful is it. Hopefully, they are only being requested to do paid work and that no one reaches out to them for unpaid work, because that is also a huge problem within our industry.
I also want them to be there for each other and support each other, show that they’re not alone in this; that there are others like them, who are on their side, and are willing to support.
You’ve managed to add a decent number of Black women photographers to the database so far. How did you spread the word?
It really has been Twitter and with that, it has been spreading organically on its own. Twitter is a very powerful platform. For me, it feels more instantaneous. That’s where I’ve been really spreading the work, as I’ve been able to reach out to more people, along with Instagram and Facebook.
How many submissions are you getting per day?
The traffic on the site is overwhelming and incredible. I have at least 120 submissions and have been adding anyone who identifies. There is no ‘cool club only’ barrier because we already have too many of those. I can’t do this to my fellow Black women. Anyone and everyone that identifies is welcome.
How much exposure do Black women photographers really get in terms of getting work and being paid fairly in the photography industry in the US?
You already know that there is a wealth gap not just in the US as a whole, but worldwide. It also reflects in our photo industry. I’m sure I will probably be offered a lesser rate than one of my peers who is not Black. I hope I’m able to provide some kind of transparency. The first step is to get their work seen. Hopefully, this can help close that gap.
You were born in Kenya and belong to an immigrant family in the US. How important is the current debate around the race for you?
Slowly and surely, people have been waking up and realizing why this is important. You can think about race in every aspect and every single thing we do. I feel like these conversations that have been taking on, have been productive and good, but then where do we go from here?
The events we’ve seen unfolding after George Floyd’s murder have yet again sparked a debate on race around the world. Do you see this as a solution-oriented discussion as a representative of the Black community?
I have seen a few, but I guess it also depends on who thinks it is a solution. For instance, now people are talking about defunding the police — some people are for it, some people are not. It is going to be a back and forth (discussion). I understand that but at the same time, I feel where are we going with that if we keep trying to debate? There was also a debate about whether journalists can even say Black lives matter, because people think it is a political statement. But in actuality, it should be a human rights issue since Black lives actually matter.We are still debating things like that, so I don’t know how we can even move forward when we’re not in agreement on something as simple as Black lives matter. With everything that takes time, there is no solution that will work for every state. I really do hope that we see it soon because if not, this is going to keep happening. Since George Floyd, there have already been conversations about other police killings that happened recently, it feels like it is back to back to back.
Tell us about your own experience as a Black woman in the media industry?
I am more fortunate than my peers. I feel like if I am having a hard time when dealing with microaggressions at work or elsewhere, at least I know where and who I can turn to for support. A lot of Black people and women journalists don’t have that. Not everyone has an organization or mentors. I have, overall, had a good support system whether it has been NABJ or family or friends. I have dealt with things as well, but not to the extent of some of my peers. For instance, my newsroom has not stopped me from working or posting about Black lives matter.
How do you think the industry can become more diverse and inclusive, especially in today’s time?
Honestly, it depends on individual people and those in the hiring positions. We already have these organizations, now it just depends if these institutions can use them. For instance, how many people go to NABJ, National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), online news association (ONA) or similar organizations to recruit and support? And when you do recruit, what happens when they get into the newsroom? Will they be supported or will they be forced off a beat because of this moment? It really depends on those people who are in the positions of power and oftentimes, it is not us. I have a great support system. I am in a few different groups for young Black journalists — we’re all here for each other, but whether the industry is here for us, is the question.
Press Freedom In Kashmir —
A Year Later
How women journalists here, navigate reporting a year after the lockdown.
By Rabia Mushtaq
In the past one year, Kashmir has witnessed the most heinous human rights violations and conflict situations. After the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35(A), people living in the valley have lived through strict security blockades and communications blackouts — and continue to live a life that is anything but free.
PHOTO CREDIT: UMER ASIF
After the lockdown — to counter protests disapproving the annulment of the two Articles — was imposed, the internet was shut down, mobile services were snapped and travel to and from the valley came to a halt — thanks to the Indian government that left no stone unturned in making the lives of Kashmiris miserable.
The press, too, has been oppressed like never before. To say that it has been choked, is not an understatement. Reporting from the world’s most militarized zone is not an easy feat. Journalists were left paralyzed without any channels of communication to report what was happening in Kashmir. Websites of papers and magazines went offline. Reports only got out through thumb drives taken by passengers flying out of the valley by air. Journalists were not allowed to enter hospitals at certain hours during the day.
Journalists were detained and intimidated by Indian security forces. Advocates of freedom of the press have been vocal about the state of press freedom in Kashmir during the last one year, urging international movers and shakers to pay heed, but to no avail. Not much has changed since August 2019.
This year in April, photojournalist Masrat Zahra was booked under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for “uploading anti-national posts with criminal intention to induce the youth and promote offence against public tranquility.” In a statement issued by the cyber division of Kashmir’s police department, a Facebook user named Masrat Zahra had “uploaded anti-national posts with criminal intention”. The said information, according to them, was received through “reliable sources” without mentioning the fact that she was, in fact, a photojournalist. A First Information Report (FIR) was also filed against Masrat under Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code. She was charged under a law that gave the government a freehand to “proscribe individuals as terrorists and empowers more officers of the National Investigation Agency to probe cases”. If proven guilty, Masrat stood the risk of being jailed for up to seven years.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) reached out to Masrat at the time to understand why she was being targeted through the draconian laws. Traumatized after being booked arbitrarily, she shared that the Kashmir police asked her to report to the police station immediately.
“I have been working as a professional and have covered everything, even offbeat stories. What has happened (with me) is beyond comprehension and I will go through all the legal formalities to deal with it accordingly,” she said when speaking with CFWIJ in April.
Till date, many women journalists in Kashmir find it challenging to practice journalism amid the constant restrictions on press freedom. It has become increasingly difficult for them report from the valley, following the fear of persecution, particularly through the use of stringent anti-terrorism law.
CFWIJ reached out to women journalists who have been reporting from the valley for the past year. Nawal Ali Watali is an independent photographer, researcher and writer in the Indian administered Kashmir. When asked how she views the state of press freedom in the valley she decided to tell it all.
“There is absolutely no press freedom here. I won’t sugarcoat, I won’t say there is a little cause there is none. And with the new media policy, it has become even clearer. However, this isn’t the first time that an official order has been taken out in Kashmir against press freedom. Press censorship has been happening since the Dogra rule itself,” Nawal said.
“Even if newspapers are publishing, they are doing it under this invisible pressure. Editors are being summoned, officials don’t talk to you easily when you approach them, and then there is the funding problem. One does not want to fall prey to corporate funding and even if one does, the government can easily ban those ads. Big brother can do anything,” she added.
Durdana Bhat, a Kashmiri visual journalist, echoed Nawal’s thoughts.
“The state of press freedom is self-evident, in my opinion. Currently, there are a lot of issues with the regulation of movement of journalists and journalism, as an institution,” Durdana said when asked about her take on press freedom in Kashmir.
The Media Policy 2020, released in June, introduced media regulations imposed by India to “counter false news and incitement in Jammu and Kashmir” will now be used as a ploy to stifle the press. Weaponization of law is being used to silence the voice of journalism by the world’s largest democracy.
Quratulain Rehbar, a journalist based in Srinagar, also shared similar sentiments about the challenges to press in the valley.
“There is no press freedom in Kashmir. If we do a story on human rights violations or conflict in Kashmir, we remain under fear. At this moment, it is tough for us because some journalists have been slapped with UAPA. Therefore, one can imagine how difficult it is for all of us,” Quratulain said when speaking with CFWIJ.
What happened with Masrat, as a woman journalist, became a ruthless example of how low the Indian government can go when suppressing press freedom in Kashmir. While her senior colleagues and members of the Kashmir Press Club stood with Masrat during the difficult times, it was not enough to ease the apprehensions of other women journalists reporting in the valley. The fears became more evident. Resorting to censorship or careful use of language kept journalists aware about what they wrote and said post August 5.
“I'm not practicing self-censorship, in terms of what I write on or report. But yes, I'm very careful with my language and words. Like using the word allegedly when even though we know something is done by the forces but it's not accepted by the state yet. Because I don’t want them to silence me on this, the fight is very very long and we need to tread carefully to keep going on in the fight, Nawal said.
Quratulain stated that the authorities would not care much about journalists earlier, but since August 2019, they know everything about journalists including their workplace.
“It was fascinating to see journalists in Kashmir doing stories fearlessly. They would go on the ground, to protest sites and talk to people without fearing about their lives. But the situation has drastically changed in a year. Now we have to be very cautious when doing stories and remember that we are being watched,” she said.
The situation worsened for journalists who had to work without a press card and communication facilities. Nawal Watali shared about her experience of what went down when she was reporting on the ground.
“Post Article 370, it was difficult to navigate through armed forces’ check posts without an institutional identity card. And then we could not call our sources or local contacts in various districts in Kashmir,” she said.
Nawal added that she focused on documentary photography and long-term projects before August 5, but she later realized the importance of media‘s role in framing a narrative and countering Indian media’s misreporting.
“I was called a jihadist by an Indian journalist. He was calling me names on Twitter. That's how powerful these people are. They can call you names publically and get away with it. The only thing you can do is counter the state peddled narrative by constantly building an authentic homegrown narrative through reporting and that's what I have been doing now,” Nawal wrote in response to a question by CFWIJ.
Durdana, too, has been working under immense apprehension.
“Post August 5, journalists – in general – have been working with a lot of apprehension when it comes to reportage as well. There is this fear of being incriminated for simple reporting. As for including the women’s angle into the question, now there is clear evidence that the questioning, summoning and arresting doesn’t happen within the boundaries of gender,” she said when asked about the changes in her reporting as a woman journalist since the abrogation of Article 370.
PHOTO BY KASHMIR PRESS
Quratulain also shared about the way her reporting has altered given the increasing conflict and human rights violations in the valley since last year.
“Right now, I’m working as a freelancer. But earlier, I was working as a staffer at the Kashmirwalla magazine. There, I did stories related to women’s issues including health and education, along with those related to conflict. But after August 5, my focus has shifted entirely towards stories related to its aftermath. For instance, how women feel threatened after the Article was gone, minors being illegally detained, and the Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions among many others,” she said when responding to CFWIJ.
Quratulain’s life as a journalist was no different; she experienced drastic changes after the events in Kashmir last year. It was tough for her to report because of the communication blackout.
“I’m from South Kashmir, but I was living in a rented place in Srinagar at the time. It was not easy to live in an atmosphere where there is no internet facility for background research. With the internet, the work can get much easier, but there was none at all, which meant that I had to do extra work. Sometimes, I even had to decide whether I should go with the flow or how to do stories which could possibly create trouble for me,” she said.
It is frustrating for Nawal to file stories to publications and agencies. She informed CFWIJ that 4G is still not working and broadband speed is very slow.
Durdana deems it to be “very Beckettian, almost like ‘Waiting for Godot’.”
Apart from the issues that women journalists have been confronted with since the past one year, they have also had to work with an extra layer of risk associated with their gender. Being a woman journalist in Kashmir meant more risks to their safety, given the local and political dynamics of the valley.
For Quratulain, working as a woman journalist in Kashmir comes with familial, societal and political pressures, considering the valley’s conservative norms. Originally from Pulwama district in South Kashmir, she was working from Srinagar when the abrogation was announced. Quratulain informed us that a day before August 5, she had told her mother not to worry about her safety, if she is unable to communicate due to the blackout.
“I went home after two weeks. My mother literally cried because a lot of our neighbors kept asking her questions about me. They even questioned me about the situation and why I did not come home. This made me really uncomfortable. It was shocking and hurt me a lot,” she said.
Quratulain added that women are often considered vulnerable and weak, while their hard work is neglected.
“Personally, I do not believe in gender when it comes to work. Because we have equal opportunities and it depends on us how we utilize them. But how can I prove to people that I am doing better than the man you praise?”
While Durdana looks at it from a slightly different lens.
“There has been a particular uneasiness concerning the freedom of movement. I think that is the only challenge there is that families are not comfortable with, and the idea of being possibly slapped by legal procedures,” she said.
Nawal opined that as a woman it is more difficult to work in the journalism profession.
“You have to face these ultra-masculine state powers, whose gaze too is exploitative and abusive. And then comes the social dynamics where, although now women in journalism are more or less internalized and normalized, you (still) need to fight the society and family to enter a field like this,” she said.
Nawal added that she had to fight her family when researching in the far-fetched LOC areas and also had to deal with local authorities after she made it there.
“Once there, the authorities — from whom you need to take permission to visit these areas — would look down upon me and shun me away with stupid reasons just because they would not accept that a woman alone can visit these places,” she shared her experience of working as a woman during field work,” she shared in response to CFWIJ’s question about the challenges of working on the ground as a woman.
Kashmir is not an easy space to maneuver for women who are passionate to practice journalism amid the ongoing conflict and human rights violations. Before writing this story, I was struggling to connect with women journalists in the valley. While some were having trouble responding to my queries due to internet issues, others possibly wanted to stay away from being in the spotlight — and rightly so. What has happened in Kashmir since August 2019, is inhumane, to say the least. To know that women journalists continue to tell stories and speak truth to power, even in the world’s most militarized zone, strengthens one’s belief in the way journalism can challenge Orwellian governments amidst the state of repression.
Chicken Or Egg Dilemma In Journalism: Mental Health
By Zeynep Gürcan
TW: This is merely an opinion piece, the author is not a mental health professional.
Are those who choose to become journalists more prone to suffer from mental health illnesses or does the profession itself cause the illnesses? I ponder to myself thinking about all the recent cases of journalist suicides I documented.
CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES, COPYRIGHT: ANYABERKUT
Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of groundbreaking confessional Prozac Nation, used to write obsessively without break while she was working at the Rolling Stone during her college days. In her memoir she writes: “Then I need more. I always need more. For all of my life I have needed more.” The sentiment was specifically about her relationship to Ritalin, but it can also be applied to the way she went to fulfill her desire to write. Elizabeth, who passed away this January from cancer, wrote bravely about her struggles with mental health starting in her pre-teen years.
It is not uncommon to see women who write, whether journalists or authors, encounter hardships with their mental health throughout their career. Which makes one wonder: Is it that the more vulnerable and empathetic choose a career in writing and documenting stories, or is it the stories, that they cover, make them more vulnerable?
Based on research by Psychiatrist Feinstein and his team focusing on PTSD, the first academic article published about mental health and journalists was from 2002. So we might as well say that academia was almost a millenia behind in researching the profession’s mental health effects.
Journalists working on the ground are not the only ones to suffer from trauma, PTSD and other psychological problems; in fact, those working in newsrooms and the sources also experience second hand trauma. Uncomfortably long hours or days or sometimes weeks, constant exposure to disturbing content and the intense competition in the profession - all contribute to the trauma inflicted on one’s mental health.
In a 2016 scientific article published in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, following were the most common sources of stress:
Job-role demands: ambiguous expectations or uncertainties about a particular role, or over-burdensome expectations.
Interpersonal demands: problems among colleagues, competition and ethical issues in reporting.
Physical demands: the stresses posed by working in a busy newsroom without natural light.
Working conditions: low pay, long hours and late-night deadlines.
Task-related stressors: interviewing distraught sources, time pressures, violence and intimidation, and exposure to traumatic events.
The most common effects of the aforementioned sources of stress are burnout, depression, anxiety, PTSD, alcohol and substance use, and job turnover in journalists.
Add on top of it, the stress of being a woman in the industry where one has to routinely wade through unimaginable online abuse and has to work to the break glass ceiling, it is almost impossible to not experience psychological distress.
See, I am no mental health illness expert but from the examples I have seen around myself, I can - with full confidence - say that most of the industry already has what experts call the ‘Florence Nightingale syndrome’, where they find it easier to try to fix the world than try to “fix” themselves, where they latch on to their work with such high expectations that any live-love-laugh-advice such as taking a break and going on a walk or plugging out becomes burdensome for them.
Glyniss McNicoll in her 2014 article for Elle magazine described this as resenting anything that would keep her from doing her job, whether it was holding a conversation over dinner or actually going home to get some sleep. But, “In hindsight, it should have been clear there was a problem when I began fantasizing about being a garbage truck driver. I would sit at my desk, Gchat windows exploding, no less than 40 tabs open on my screen, my Blackberry within arms reach like a small tethered child or, perhaps more accurately, like a contraband substance, my television set tuned to the morning shows, and gaze out my window overcome by a sharp longing—a deep envy—of men who toss cans of refuse into a rumbling truck before continuing on to parts unknown. Parts free from the Internet.” Glyniss also wrote in her article.
CREATOR: PEOPLEIMAGES, COPYRIGHT: PEOPLEIMAGES.COM
In the capitalistic system we live in, which exalts the overwork culture, journalists rarely ever come out to their employers about the hardships they experience. Heck! They probably don’t even admit it to themselves because it sounds very heroic to be able to say they are immune to this unrecognized pandemic of our century: depression.
When Elizabeth Wurtzel’s memoir was published in 1994, it was almost a canon for all depressed young women, such as what the poetry of Sylvia Plath was in the 1980s and songs of Amy Winehouse came to be in the 2000s. The cruel male dominated industry didn’t hesitate to make fun of and belittle these women’s experiences while crusading for problematic male figures with narcissistic and alcoholic disorders like Charlie Sheen.
Elizabeth wrote in Prozac Nation: “I don’t know if depressives are drawn to places with that certain funereal ambience or if, in all their contagion, they make them that way.” As a firm believer of the art and the sword written word is, I am convinced that the patriarchy is what makes us women depressed and what also pushes us to overwork.
Making Ends Meet
Women journalists on surviving the financial fallout of Covid-19
By Rabia Mushtaq
On January 30, the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. Weeks later, many countries around the world began adopting measures to contain the novel coronavirus by imposing lockdowns and urging people to work from home to prioritize their health and safety. While many organizations in different industries managed to make the transition, others had a hard time adjusting to this new normal. Journalism was no different. An industry that was already struggling to financially sustain itself globally, had now encountered a pandemic.
CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK, COPYRIGHT: COTTONBRO
Many print, electronic and digital media outlets had their business affected due to Covid-19. Some resorted to pay cuts and furloughs, while others had to layoff or fire their employees. Eventually, the decisions of these media outlets left many journalists and media workers ambiguous about their job security. With less or no other avenues to seek refuge, it gradually became challenging for professionals, especially freelancers, in the global media industry to sustain themselves financially
In April, The Coalition For Women In Journalism spoke to Indian women journalists who shared their fears about the industry’s financial decline following the spread of coronavirus. A Bangalore based journalist Pallabi Munsi stated that an already deteriorating state of the media industry worsened after the pandemic.
“For the past decade, India’s newspaper industry has stood out as a rare beacon of hope for the print media, which has seen sharp declines in readership in the West… Now, the coronavirus is threatening to do what the Great Recession of 2008 couldn’t: deal a crippling blow to the industry,” she said.
Another Indian journalist, who used the pseudonym Bia, was asked to go on leave without pay, along with 44 other employees at her organization.
“I was told three days before I was forced to take leave without pay for an indefinite period. Personally, I found it to be very humiliating and insulting. I was shocked and it took me 48 hours for it to sink in,” she said, while sharing her ordeal with CFWIJ.
Women journalists in Pakistan, too, have suffered in terms of their income. Delayed salaries and layoffs have aggravated the situation for most working in the different media houses after Covid-19 struck. According to the Center for Protection of Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ), at least 230 women journalists lost their jobs and suffered a blow to their income following the financial effects of Covid-19.
Women journalists also shared their tales of exploitation by media outlets. In April, ELLE UK called for women documentary photographers/photojournalists to work for them in exchange for a “small fee” and “expenses”. Their request triggered many journalists, particularly freelancers, who started condemning their exploitative call. During a time when having a stable income was a challenge, it was appalling to see publications like ELLE UK to abuse the services of professionals in the industry and also put their safety at risk, while they work on the ground.
Fast forward to July, not much has changed. Women journalists around the world continue to struggle financially and make ends meet, all accredited to Covid-19. Considering how the novel coronavirus has had a negative financial impact on the lives of women journalists across the world, CFWIJ spoke with a few, based in the U.S. and Canada, to understand their financial struggles and how they have been coping with the pressures imposed by Covid-19 on them.
The damage post-coronavirus
Rasha Guerrier, the founder and executive producer of the Jesse Louis Productions, had to file for unemployment after Covid-19 impacted her financially.
“I had to go through a process of deferring a bunch of payments that thankfully gave me a couple of months of relief for payments I just didn't have the money to pay,” she said.
Rasha was in the process of building a video production website for ABC7NY and had to leave. Even though she did create the website, the plan to build an initial team of video correspondents fell through and Rasha began covering independent stories that can now be viewed on her own website, which is separate from the station.
“I now aim for the website to be a portfolio allowing producers to submit their work and also provide location rental spaces for creatives to bring their stories to life,” she said.
Denise Cathey, based in the Rio Grande Valley, covers immigration and life along the U.S.-Mexico border as a full-time photojournalist for a daily. However, even her full-time employment leaves her uncertain about her financial future.
“I had made a plan to start working on putting money into upgrading my equipment, since most of it is five to eight years old and starting to show it. But that had to be shelved entirely because I need to be able to have some kind of emergency fund if the worst does happen. I'm pretty much just crossing my fingers every time I'm pulling out my gear and hoping that nothing goes wrong because at this point I can't afford to fix anything,” she informed CFWIJ.
*A, a Canadian journalist, works as an advertorial features writer for the last 10 months. When taking up the job for a staff position, A* settled $9,000 less than what she had asked for. Even though she has not been laid off due to Covid-19, its financial impact has prevented her from earning a raise. She currently makes only $2,080 as net pay, which she said is not sustainable according to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
“So having to work and getting as much as everyone else who isn’t working is disheartening. When I asked for a raise (regardless of Covid-19 because I’m way past probation), I was told not yet and maybe in the fall when things go back to normal but who knows if that will happen,” A* told CFWIJ.
She added that her department is just herself and the editor, because another staffer left at the end of 2019. “They were never replaced so my workload increased without a pay,” she said.
Ashley Hayes-Stone is Sacramento based photojournalism student. She is due to start her first semester at the San Francisco State University this fall, but has been freelancing for the past two years. Ashley has her stories published in the Sacramento News and Review - an alternative weekly, which ceased the publication of its print edition in March and laid off freelancers. She was completing her associate degree in journalism and was working as a student worker for the campus newspaper, while her hours at the paper were cut as well, so Ashley had to try to find work elsewhere. To keep herself afloat, Ashley has been writing for different websites and businesses but finds it difficult to keep herself motivated.
“I’ve been living off my savings until I can find some work. I have applied to a few reporter positions in the area but I have not received a response… I battle with depression and anxiety; therefore, I have to fight to get out of bed to find stories, so I can pay my bills and save up to buy school supplies for fall. To be honest, it's highly discouraging to keep going when you keep hitting these walls but it's that or drown,” she responded in an email to CFWIJ.
Another Canada based journalist B* works as a full-time multimedia journalist in Victoria and will be soon exploring her reporting chops at a new workplace in August. For B*, working during a pandemic has not been easy and its financial implications have been evident on the outlet where she works.
“The company I work for ended up moving to a work-share model meaning we were working 20 per cent less, and getting paid 20 per cent less. I am relying on EI to top up some of my missed income. In my case, that means I'm working four days a week instead of five,” she said when responding to our question.
B* also did some freelance work on the side for extra income. She said, “I also did freelance work for the company I work for (for some other publications) but as soon as COVID-19 struck, all freelance work was cancelled, so my extra income was lost. I should also note that just because we're on work-share, doesn't mean layoffs can't still happen.”
Controlling the financial damage
In order to control the damage to their finances, these women journalists have had to make a lot of sacrifices and take difficult decisions. Rasha, who was originally living in New York (NYC) with a roommate, had to move back to her home in New Jersey (NJ) and sublease her room to save money.
PHOTO CREDIT: KAROLINA GRABOWSKA
“Even though my parents had filed for unemployment as well as small business owners in optometry, they had enough saved to hold our family through. However, due to COVID, the person who was subletting my room moved back to Cali, so I was on the hunt to find someone else to take over paying the rent for my room in NYC while being home in NJ. Finally, I was able to find someone to take over,” she informed CFWIJ.
Denise, too, immediately turned towards controlling the damage post-Covid and opted to save as much as she could to help herself in the future with an emergency fund, if and when needed.
“I was lucky enough to get a stimulus check, so I put that in and thankfully have only had to use a small amount. I immediately cut back on all spending that wasn't absolutely essential. So basically, (I just spend on) food, gas, rent, and bills. I also chose not to renew the lease on my apartment and moved to a cheaper place, while it was a lot of money to spend upfront I'm hoping if things get tighter it'll be easier to manage,” she said.
A* began to UberEats on evenings and weekends to cover her expenses and build an emergency fund.
“Since I’m working from home, I’m not using my car so I figured I can make extra income off my vehicle. My strategies are to spend more than I make by cutting non-essentials and budgeting for groceries,” she wrote to us.
Ashley shared that she was living off of the meager income money received while working at the school, but filed for unemployment and is waiting to receive her checks.
“Until then I’ve been living off my savings which are slowly depleting every month. I spent all that time saving and it's just gone within a few months. To be honest, I really didn't have much of a strategy. I just try to pay my bills and drive into my savings to cover me. I was worried about money on top of finishing my last semester at my community college,” she informed us.
B* is content with the fact that her students loan payments have been put on hold until September — the reason she has managed some savings. But she also decided to take up some much-needed lifestyle changes.
“I stopped getting takeout, made coffee at home and relied on the EI top up to cover some of my lost income. I had to stop seeing my therapist for a bit so I could save money and put subscriptions to the gym, news outlets, etc. on hold,” said B*.
While the present is more about surviving, the future also remains uncertain for most women journalists.
Rasha is currently unemployed but is pulling through with the help of employment checks. She also runs two additional small businesses — one in the e-commerce industry and another in location rentals. She is also in the process of getting certified as a licensed financial analyst, after which she will work as an independent contractor. All of these streams of income are still not enough for Rasha to sustain her financial needs because they are gradually building.
“However, moving back home to NJ and thankfully filing for unemployment allow me to use this time to invest, save, build, and strategize effectively for what’s to come.
Denise has managed to sustain through her full-time photojournalism job and some freelance work on the side. “At the moment, it is enough to pay all my bills and save a bit,” she said.
A* said that the gig economy is helping, while B* is getting by.
“I live in Victoria, British Columbia. Here, the rent is astronomical, as are other costs like gas, groceries and insurance. I'm living paycheck to paycheck, and have had to apply for repayment assistance for my student loans as well. I'm ashamed to say it, but I've taken some loans from my parents at times too,” B* stated.
She has continued her work as a multimedia journalist, while Ashley looks out for stories, pitches them to local publications and does freelance work.
“It doesn't pay much but I'm willing to do it. I want to be a photojournalist, but I have been writing more to make more money instead. Even though it's not editorial, I have been thinking about offering to do portrait sessions and weddings to make some extra cash,” Ashley said, and added that it is enough for now, but she hopes to get her unemployment checks soon.
“I just appreciate the fact I get financial aid which pays for my tuition because if I didn't have that I wouldn't be able to go to school,” she wrote when responding to CFWIJ.
Keeping up with mental health amidst the uncertainty
The past few months have been challenging for one’s mental health and women journalists have not been able to escape the psychological pressures after Covid-19 took over the world. Fears of one’s safety and health continue to haunt, but the fear of financial uncertainty has taken a rather heavy toll.
“Not getting an income hit and triggered my anxiety a lot, especially with my handling expenses, bills, loan payments, etc. On top of COVID happening during the death of George Floyd, Breoanna Taylor, and many other young black people due to police brutality amid the #BLM Movement, as a black woman, all of these emotions and feelings felt heavy, Rasha said. She added that prayer and the support of loved ones pushed her through and reminded her that she was not alone.
Denise, too, said that she experiences an endless feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop and no idea when or if it has already happened.
“You go from being able to plan for things, to just having no real ability to know what you are going to be doing two weeks or two months from now. The anxiety is just insane, there's just no real point of stability so you can pull yourself out of it,” Denise said, while sharing her apprehensions with CFWIJ.
A* has been stressed about her finances, but particularly about the social pressure of having achieved everything during her mid-20s.
“I thought I was on my way to building my finances and career, but I feel like that’s been put to a halt. I feel like I’m in limbo and worry if I’ll lose my main source of income and a job that’s helping me gain experience,” she shared her concerns.
Ashley battles with anxiety and depression. Seeing the amount in her bank account decrease and not hearing back from potential employers has left her depressed.
“I have a hard time motivating myself and feel guilty for not photographing more or writing more,” she said.
B*, on the other hand, constantly worries about being laid off.
“We were already working with reduced staff and reduced hours but the pressure to put out the same amount of content and keep our readership was higher than ever. I was worried that if I didn't work at 120 per cent, I'd lose my job and income,” she said.
B* added that if her job is lost, she would potentially have to move back to Ontario to live with her parents.
“I can't afford to live in B.C. without income and because I've been paycheque to paycheque, I have no savings. I was in tears almost every night worried about if I'd make it through… I watched businesses close, watched my friends get laid off and was so stressed that I was having night terrors. The worst part is there's nothing to be done about it,” she said and added that the uncertainty increased her anxiety.
An uncertain future looms over
Covid-19 has forced everyone to live in the new normal by adapting to lifestyle changes and surviving despite the challenges. People around the world are still struggling to live this different life. In the midst of lockdowns and changes in work life, industries have suffered financially, but individuals have borne the brunt exponentially.
“I already knew that I was going to be struggling, whatever happens, I'm going to keep doing this (photojournalism) as long as I can get the work. I might have to switch to full freelance in the future and maybe get a stable part-time job outside journalism. But I love what I do too much to fully pull away at this point. It's too much a part of me to not fight for it in any way that I can, for as long as I can,” Denise said about her future, given the long-term effects Covid-19.
A* said that she feels safe from getting laid off because her department has just two people, including her.
“I think my future at my job can be long lasting, as long as I can make a reasonable salary and time can only tell with that. My future career wise is open but I’ve learned to never settle for less than you are worth. Once I live under what I make (which doesn’t always happen in a month), I think I will be okay financially,” she said.
A* added that her company isn’t helping younger generations because it’s not profitable enough. She said that when compared to an old colleague with eight years of experience, she would have been laid off because she has only spent a year at the job.
“My company isn’t doing much to make sure we’re okay financially, there is talk of making us go part-time but that hasn’t happened yet. I think young people, especially of color, need to be uplifted in media jobs and in staff positions, I think editors who are coming up to retirement need to pave the way and uplift us, give us a chance to have the same financial opportunities they had,” B* said when asked by CFWIJ about what her company was doing to ensure financial security of its employees.
B* said that she is employed for at least another year and has planned personal budget cuts to save, in case her contract is not renewed next year.
“I've already started thinking about other avenues I can take like going back to school or switching to communications. I love journalism with a passion but it's breaking my heart seeing it fall apart like this. I also realize that my loved ones are struggling financially too, and if I ever want to be in a place to care for them or help them, I have to make more money. I don't think that will be possible as the economic fallout from the pandemic may last years,” she said with not much hope about the future.
Ashley is hopeful. She wants to find stories and pitch to as many publications as possible. But she signed off on this note:
“Journalism is an industry that's not made for the weak and I'm learning that very quickly.”
*Some names in the story have been changed to protect the sources’ identities
Reporting Covid-19: Young Sri Lankan Women Journalists Are In Action
The Center for Media & Information Literacy (CMIL) has released a report focused on the Covid-19 coverage by young women journalists in Sri Lanka. This report highlights the work of 20 women journalists who have produced at least 50 stories using their mobile phones Media Corps Watch produced by CMIL.
SUMITHY THANGARASA
COVID-19 affected the livelihood of thousands of people in Sri Lanka, as elsewhere in the world, regardless of their social status and ethnic and religious differences.
Until the country is being slowly re-opened, several mainstream media and hundreds of webcasting sites were regularly reporting on how people are dealing with COVID-19.
However, It was extremely rare to note that a large number of young women mobile journalists are involving in reporting the pandemic situation from various parts of Sri Lanka.
At least 20 young women mobile journalists actively involved in reporting the impact of COVID 19 in rural communities, including women in Sri Lanka. They produced at least 50 mobile journalism (MoJo) stories to the news magazine program -Media Corps Watch produced by the Centre for Media and Information Literacy (CMIL) and Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF).
SDJF and CMIL produced 50 Media Corps Watch - news magazine programs From April 25, highlighting how people are dealing with COVID-19 and countering disinformation and providing authentic information required for the rural communities to stay safe during the period.
Young women mobile journalists who had already been trained by SDJF, under its Media Corps fellowship program, courageously produced series of stories, live updates, expert interviews amidst the threat to their own lives, health hazards, and practical challenges.
Young women followed regular security and safety guidance from SDJF, WHO, and government taking extra care about themselves, maintaining the social distance, establishing communication with the state and non-state stakeholders, and continuing their reporting.
Most of their stories were on the impact of the lock-down and curfew situation on rural and marginalized communities. Some female journalists produced stories about the affected populations, some interviewed responsible government officers, some produced photographs, some provided live coverage, and some helped to produce more authentic and verified information through Media Corps Watch.
Nirasha, a young journalist, produced a series of stories about migrant workers from rural areas who were trapped in Colombo construction sites without being able to access to food and medicine. One of her story on construction workers who were unable to get back to their home districts, and trapped at their worksites, in Colombo by the curfew, attracted close to 200,000 views, nearly 5,000 shares, and close to 500 comments on social media.
Further, her compelling stories not only paved the path for donors to help these trapped laborers but also enabled the news magazine, reporters, to send the message to the relevant government authorities to take action on behalf of all the people and laborers who were trapped in Colombo. Young Nirasha contacted the government about it. Eventually, the government worked out a strategy to evacuate those who were trapped.
"At the beginning, even the police were not optimistic to respond to a female journalist walking down the street for reporting. But observing the young ones n the spot giving due consideration to health precautions that were approved by WHO, they gave their full corporation to continue reporting” said Nirasha.
Ahalya David, another young journalist produced a series of stories and live situation analyses from the Eastern part of Sri Lanka. Her stories focused mostly on the effect of COVID-19 situation around women. One of her stories about women who use oysters shells to make the powder attracted 19,000viewers. Another story on a farmer who is the only person who grows Beetroot in the Batticaloa district attracted 11k viewers. Ahalya produced a number of stories about some individuals who are involved in home gardening for their livelihood. A story on a farmer who cultivated vegetables and cherries on the rooftop reached around 37 online audiences.
NIRASHA PIYAWADANI IS INTERVIEWING PEOPLE WHO TRAPPED IN COLOMBO.
"COVID-19 is an extremely unusual and challenging situation for us. Even under normal situations, we are not allowed to travel a long distance, be amongst the people, involve in reporting. However, I happened to make a strong decision to report for the MediaCorps Watch program constantly” said Ahalya.
Sumithy Thangarasa, one of the very few journalists working from Jaffna highlighted in her stories on how families are struggling to access basic livelihoods and satiation in Jaffna during the curfew. In addition, the news about a Swiss Father of Philadelphia Church in Jaffnawas viewed by a large amount of audience. Taking a step above covering this story, she submitted an official report of the incident to the Director-General of Jaffna General Hospital.
Sharing her experience, she mentioned that "Even I was in a dubious situation about my safety to find stories amid an epidemic that has threatened the entire world. I confronted these challenges over a passion for reporting. There are very few women journalists in Jaffna. And it was a valuable experience for me to be apart of the female journalists to contribute to this kind of reporting without fear.”
It’s apparent that not many women journalists in Sri Lanka are involved in multimedia journalism. However, the Media Corps Fellowship program has provided necessary knowledge, skills and courage for a large number of young women to produce multi-media stories using smartphones. The mobile application such as “Kinemaster" had given abundant opportunities to effectively films, edit and disseminate their stories.
Kalawarshini Kanagaratnamis a journalist living in the congested city of Maradana, a suburb of Colombo. With the mainstream media continually focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on big businesses at the national level, Kalavarshini's creative mind ran into a unique group of people who were isolated in the general eye. She covered a remarkable story of a 'Small group of community in a slum area who are engaging in the traditional way of washing clothes'.This story highlighted the fears and the concerns of underprivileged communities who have no income or government support and yet do not get the attention of mainstream media. Several other stories produced by young women journalists focused on the impact of COVID -19 on local industries.
Prabhasha Chithrangani, who lives in Monaragala, is a student of the Department of Journalism at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Prabhasha entered professional journalism through Media Corps Watch program.
“I was overwhelmed by the responses which I received from reporting on the visually impaired cricket team in Sri Lanka” - said Prabhasha. The story reached 26 viewers and highlighted the difficulties faced by the visually challenged cricketers in continuing the sports due to the present situation” she said explaining her experience in involving COVID-9 reporting.
ManushiJayasena is a multimedia journalist living in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Her reporting specializes in hidden villages in Matara District. She was able to report the impact of COVID-19 on the people of such remote villages from time to time. Out of this reporting, she has captured two stories; one is about brick makers and the other one about the farmers who were fighting against the odds to supply their corps to the nations food supply chain.
Parineetha Puneetharasa is a multimedia journalist who lives in Batticaloa and studies at the University of Jaffna. Praneetha indicated her experience in reporting COVID-19. "Everyone in my village was in a state of a shock of Covid-19. At that time, it was impossible to even think of going out to find stories in the village. Though my family was against, one time I went out to capture images and to find stories of the impact of COVID-19 in our rural village as a passionate MediaCorp fellow. Taking every step forward, I put all the challenges behind and went out, which gave me opportunities to explore my village in-depth to find stories.”
Praneetha reported about a group of fishermen, including women who had come to Batticaloa for off-season fishing and couldn’t return to their hometown. They got trapped in 'Kirankulam' due to the curfew and managed to put up a temporary shelter on the beach to survive. This story reached around 19K viewers on Media Corps Watch Facebook page.
A story about how COVID-19 has affected the livelihood of women involved in traditional sewing from Eraur highlighted difficulties in continuing their job. A young mobile journalist KundaviSivapalan produced this story for Media Corps Watch program. Similarly, a young Journalist Kalavarshini highlighted the difficulties faced by an elderly family that is involved in maintaining a small laundry shop. The story highlighted how the family lost its customer base and therefore, the regular income. SilmiyaYousuf, in her story, highlighted how Coconut is being sold at a different price in different regions.
Conclusion
As per the initial assessment conducted by the SDJF and CMIL, it was observed that the MediaCorps Watch program, supported by IREX and funded by USAID reached more than 1.5 Million online audiences in Sri Lanka providing a significant opportunity for the young women mobile-journalists in Sri Lanka to prove their capability to address the issues faced by them and as well as their communities. The News Magazine program thus confirmed that when opportunities are provided, women journalists can use mobile journalism to voice the voiceless.
Round Up Of Threats Women Journalists Faced
Canada: Journalist Kariane Bourassa was assaulted while following anti-mask protests
TVA journalist Kariane Bourassa was covering an anti-mask demonstration when she was physically harassed and intimidated.
Jul 30, 2020
Pakistan: Condemnable physical assault of young journalist, by Molvis. We appeal the government to take notice
Sidra Ghias, a Lahore based Samaa TV reporter, has been verbally harassed and physically assaulted by a group of armed hooligans in Lahore.
Jul 29, 2020
Saudi Arabia: Is the Crown Prince a women liberator or oppressor? Prisoner of conscience Loujain Al-Hathloul’s safety and fate remains ambiguous
Feminist Human Rights Defender and prisoner of conscience, Loujain A-Hathloul's fate remains ambiguous for over two months.
Jul 28, 2020
Dagestan: Journalist Svetlana Anokhina threatened with murder by anti feminist activist. Authorities undertake a thorough investigation and ensure the journalist’s safety
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is immensely worried about safety of feminist journalist Svetlana Anokhina following the death threats she received.
Jul 28, 2020
Macedonia: Journalist Miroslava Byrns receives threats over article criticizing the public response to Covid-19 measures
Sloboden Pechat reporter Miroslava Bryns received threats on July 23 following her coverage on Covid-19.
Jul 28, 2020
Belgium: Harassment of Florence Hainaut is a threat to freedom of expression and religious freedoms
Le Soir’s feminist journalist Florence Hainaut was targeted with an online harassment campaign following her opinion piece about headscarf published on July 18.
Jul 28, 2020
Hungary: “The end of an era” that came with mass resignations at Index may well be the tipping point of decline in press freedom
More than 70 editorial staff members walked out of the Index headquarters on Friday, July 24 in mass resignation to protest the arbitrary dismissal of their editor-in-chief Szabolcs Dull.
Jul 28, 2020
United States: Journalists’ safety remains at stake after police launch projectiles and hinder coverage in Oregon protests
As the unrest in and around the United States continue over the murder of George Floyd, police’s violent response remain to be targeting journalists.
Jul 25, 2020
Australia: Surge of online attacks towards women journalists globally continue, women journalists will not be silenced
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is utterly disturbed to be reporting on the third online attack towards women journalists this week alone.
Jul 24, 2020
South Africa: News24 reporter Jenni Evans attacked on ground. Protests in and around Cape Town should not lead to violence towards journalists
As protests in Cape Town, land invasions and demonstrations took a violent turn on Monday injuring News24 reporter Jenni Evans and a disabled man in a wheelchair.
Jul 23, 2020
Saudi Arabia: The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns online attacks against women journalists that were exposed by Ghada Oueiss and Ola Al-Fares in the region
The latest example of the attack was seen in the case of Al Jazeera Arabic’s senior presenters Ghada Oueiss and Ola Al-Fares.
Jul 23, 2020
Egypt: Extension of Esraa Abdel-Fattah and Solafa Magdy’s pre-trial detention is a grave infringement of press freedom and right to a fair trial
During a hearing yesterday, Egyptian Supreme National Security Court extended the pre-trial detention of journalists Esraa Abdel-Fattah, Solafa Mady, and others for 45 days.
Jul 21, 2020
China: CFWIJ stands with journalist Leta Hong Fincher who has been the target of misogynistic trolling
Leta Hong Fincher has been on the radar of a trolling campaign over her tweets on the mass sterilization of Uyghur and other Muslim women in Xinjiang.
Jul 20, 2020
Tunisia: Sentencing of blogger Amna-Al Sharqi on “undermining religious rituals” is a breach for freedom of expression
Tunisian blogger Amna Al-Sharqi who posted a clearly satirical blog post called “Surah Corona” was sentenced to six months in prison on charges of inciting interreligious hatred
Jul 18, 2020
Turkey: Mesopotamia and Jinnews reporters attacked on ground for filming family fight
Mesopotamia News Agency Dersim correspondent Ayşe Sürme and Jinnews reporter Öznur değer were subjected to physical violence late last night.
Jul 17, 2020
Ukraine: CFWIJ is concerned about journalist Katerina Sergatskova receiving threats and harassment from far-right groups
Freelance journalist and co-founder of online media outlet Zaborona, Katerina Sergatskova has been a target of an online harassment campaign following her coverage exposing alleged links between Facebook.
Jul 15, 2020
Azerbaijan: Independent journalists covering Nagorno-Karabakh protests are targeted on social media
Upon the killing of an Azerbaijani commander in Karabakh, the conflicted region on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border.
Jul 15, 2020
Turkey: Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform Spokesperson Ayşe Güney must be released immediately
Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform Spokesperson and JinNews editor Ayşe Güney was detained early this morning during a raid at her house.
Jul 14, 2020
North Macedonia: Journalist Tanja Milevska gets hate speech and sexist comments over her coverage on the election campaign
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed about yet another gender-based hate speech targeted towards a woman journalist in the Balkans region.
Jul 14, 2020
Serbia: CFWIJ condemns police violence towards journalists covering protests. Women are particularly targeted.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been following the protests that broke out in Serbia last week.
Jul 11, 2020
Turkey: Details of Sibel Hürtaş’s detention revealed, “I can’t breathe”
Artı TV Ankara correspondent Sibel Hürtaş wrote an article on July 6 detailing her detention last week while following the bar association protest.
Jul 9, 2020
El Salvador: CFWIJ condemns the suspicious attack on Julia Gavarrete’s house. We demand the government to protect the journalist and investigate the attack.
Gato Encerrado News reporter Julia Gavarrete reported that her house was broken into while she was at a press conference.
Jul 10, 2020
United States: NY1 journalists who filed a lawsuit against gender discrimination are facing retaliation
The lawsuit claimed that all five women with experience in the profession have been “blatantly marginalized” and “cast aside” in favor of younger and less experienced women and men.
Jul 8, 2020
Russia: Final verdict on Svetlana Prokopyeva’s case: Fined for journalism
RFE/RL journalist and radio broadcaster Svetlana Prokopyeva’s case came to an end today.
Jul 6, 2020
Kosovo: Lawsuit and threats against BIRN’s country director Jeta Xharra depolorbale
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in Kosovo and its country director Jeta Xharra have been slapped with a defamation lawsuit.
Jul 3, 2020
India: Rana Ayyub receives death and rape threats following her coverage on Kashmir
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed and deeply concerned over online attacks Rana Ayyub received and exposed on Twitter.
Jul 4, 2020
Hong Kong: Police pepper spray the crowd in July 1 demonstrations, journalist Chermaine Lee affected
Hong Kong police charged at demonstrators gathered to hold the annual July 1 March on Wednesday. Among the affected was Multimedia journalist Chermaine Lee.
Jul 3, 2020
Women Journalists To Follow
Khristina Williams
New York based broadcast journalist Khristina is the founder of Girls Talk Sports TV. She created the platform in JUly 2018, after she found it challenging to break into sports broadcasting in mega media outlets as a Black woman. As a former student-athlete, Khristina established a digital sport media platform that caters to women’s representation in the sports industry and produces relevant content. We’re cheering for her, you should too.
Ayshah Tull
Ayshah is a British journalist working for Channel 4 News. Her reporting is focused on a variety of beats, however, her recent coverage of Covid-19 and race in the UK are worth a mention. Her coverage of the Grenfell Tower Fire from the beginning focused on victims' stories of hope. She has also worked on the coverage of gun laws and shootings in the US among other important stories during her time at BBC in the past. She was a presenter at the channel’s dedicated children show Newsround. We’ve been following Ayshah’s journalism and cannot just keep all her talent to ourselves.
Sylvia Jarrus
Based in Michigan, Sylvia is a freelance photojournalist who loves to tell stories. Her passion for storytelling is evident in her work, which we recently came across following the Black Lives Matter protests in Detroit. Sylvia’s photojournalism reflects the lives of people whose stories need to be told. The raw emotions and expressions can be observed in the work Sylvia has done so far. Her photographs can also be found in this NYT piece from June 24.
Yagazie Emezi
Yagazie is a Nigeria based freelance photojournalist. Her work is largely focused on human rights and women’s issues such as education, sexuality, and health. Yagazie’s work can be found in several international publications including the NYT, Vogue, and Al Jazeera among others. In 2018, she received Getty Images’ inaugural Creative Bursary Award and was also a participant of New York Portfolio Review in 2018. Yagazie is a National Geographic Explorer Grantee and became the first black African woman to have photographed for the National Geographic Magazine. Need we say more?
Badass Women Authors
Written by some of the most badass women authors across the world, we recommend you add these books to your “to-read list” this month.
The Bluest Eye
This is Toni Morrison’s first novel that revolves around the life of a young black girl Pecola Breedlove. Her desire for blue eyes and blonde hair stops her from seeing her own beauty. She is mocked by children for her curly hair, dark skin, and brown eyes that set her apart from the usual white people around her. Focused on the obsession with beauty and conformity, this book will pull your heartstrings.
The Hate U Give
This book by Angie Thomas is a powerful and heartbreaking story focused on the black community’s experience in America, narrated by a 16-year-old. The author combines the conventional critical race theory with contemporary political reference to highlight the ongoing climate around and what it would take to reconstruct. Given the current debate on race, discrimination and violence in the US, this book will help you udnerstand the situation more efficiently.
I'm Still Here
This is an essay collection that taps on faith, race, and white supremacy. Austin Channing Brown engages with prejudice and in America and analyses the impact of racism on one’s self-worth. It is a testimony of Black womanhood, resistance and activism packed with burning truth. It is a story of resilience. Brown comes across as a writer who wishes to see a world where Blackness is celebrated and whiteness is fearlessly named.
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
Written by Geraldine Audre Lorde, Zani is a biomythography that narrates her coming of age. The book shows how she became the Black lesbian, feminist, mother and the poet that she is today. It tells her story with conviction and immense insight. Through Zani, Lorde recounts her earliest memories and the power of her words will leave you gripped enough to consider writing your own memoir and tracing your own life. Read it now, if you haven’t already.
Podcast Picks
If you haven’t yet been on a podcast binging spree, we’re here to recommend some of the best in business to help you keep updated all times. This month we focus on podcasts that highlight the Black community around the world. Listen up!
The Nod
“The Nod tells the stories of Black life that don't get told anywhere else… It is an artfully idiosyncratic exploration of the kaleidoscopic spectrum of experiences that make up black life in America”.
If this isn’t enough to convince you and listen to their podcast, then we’re not sure what else will. From purple drinks’ in Black culture to the current protests across the US, they discuss everything and anything to do with the Black community. Listen here.
Ask A Black Woman
“You betta be ready for a real answer!”
Everything you’ve ever wanted to ask a Black woman will be answered on this show. Tune in to Ask A Black Woman and hear Shanara respond to questions ranging from race to love and much more. This solo show claims to “take you on a ride” using spoken word and reenactments. Listen here.
Happy Black Woman
“If you’re ready to turn your expertise into a 6-figure online business, then you are definitely in the right place.”
For all the ambitious Black women out there, this is the podcast you’ve been looking for. Rosetta Thurman, the host of this podcast, empowers women by taking them on a personal development journey using interviews with successful Black women living happy, independent lives. Listen here.
Balanced Black Girl
“The Balanced Black Girl Podcast provides a dose of real-life wellness for women of color.”
Lestraundra Alfred, the host of the podcast, and her guests will keep you engaged in candid discussions about health, happiness and life. The podcast wants its listeners (read: women of color) to reconsider self-care and wellness, so that they seem real and accessible for them. Listen here.
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