In Lagos, a three‑day reflection meeting on gender‑sensitive reporting ran from 16 to 18 September 2026. The event, organised by the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development in partnership with the International Press Centre, examined how online abuse is reshaping women’s leadership in Nigeria.
The discussion focused on technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence (TFGBV) and the media’s role in amplifying such abuse. Kathleen Ndongmo of News Central TV guided participants through the ways technology can be used to harass, intimidate, silence or discredit women, noting that not every harsh comment is gender‑based violence.
Participants highlighted the difference between legitimate political scrutiny and gendered attacks that shift the conversation from accountability to abuse. When criticism turns into sexualised insults, attacks on appearance, marriage, children or unverified sexual allegations, it becomes gendered abuse.
Media professionals were urged to take a proactive role in profiling women candidates before scandals arise. Blessing Oladunjoye of BO News Service argued that journalists should tell the stories of women seeking leadership, providing biographies, photographs, interviews and manifestos to give voters a fuller picture.
Melony Ishola of PUNCH Videos warned that the traditional newsroom is no longer the sole gatekeeper, as stories can be clipped, quoted out of context and reshaped online within minutes. The panel also discussed the dangers of coordinated harassment, impersonation, doxxing, cyberstalking and manipulated images that can discourage women from speaking publicly.
Participants stressed that digital safety should not be treated as a personal responsibility that journalists have to figure out individually. Newsrooms must develop safety protocols that protect journalists and their sources, with procedures for responding to threats, preserving evidence and reporting abusive accounts.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
