The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has charged members of the newly inaugurated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Media Corps to uphold professionalism, ethical reporting and the “do no harm” principle in their coverage of SGBV cases.
The SGBV Media Corps was inaugurated on Thursday, August 13, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, at the end of a two-day SGBV Media Corps Workshop organised by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and implemented by International IDEA with funding from the European Union (EU).
Inaugurating the Media Corps, the Benue State Coordinator of the ESGBV Programme, International IDEA, Mrs. Gloria Iveren Bai, urged journalists to conduct deeper research, uphold professional standards and ensure that their reports remained victim-centred.
Mrs. Bai stressed the need for journalists to report SGBV cases without exposing survivors to further harm or retraumatisation.
She expressed the hope that future reports would focus less on exposing or identifying victims and more on perpetrators, thereby promoting justice while protecting survivors.
Also speaking, Mr. Vincent Adekoye, Head of the Press and Public Relations Unit of NAPTIP, who represented the Director-General, outlined the responsibilities of members of the SGBV Media Corps.
He said members were expected to strictly adhere to the SGBV Media Code of Conduct in all reporting and public engagements, protect survivors and confidential sources without exception, and participate actively in capacity-building, mentoring and public awareness activities.
Mr. Adekoye said members were also expected to work collaboratively with fellow Media Corps members, NAPTIP and International IDEA across the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Oyo and Benue states.
He urged the journalists to consistently produce survivor-centred, trauma-informed and evidence-based reports.
In her remarks, the Civil Society and Community Mobilisation Specialist, ESGBV Programme, International IDEA, Mrs. Wynyfred Achu-Egbuson, commended the journalists for their commitment and active participation in the training.
Achu-Egbuson described the workshop as the beginning of a sustained relationship, assuring the journalists that capacity-building activities would continue in the coming days.
She said the training was designed to strengthen the professional skills of journalists and enable them to serve society better through responsible and ethical reporting.
Achu-Egbuson also said the initiative could serve as a model for other government agencies to establish specialised Media Corps to help tackle societal challenges.
She, however, noted that membership of the SGBV Media Corps came with significant responsibilities and challenges, urging the journalists to rise to the expectations associated with their new role.
The SGBV Media Corps is expected to promote ethical, survivor-centred and evidence-based reporting of SGBV, while strengthening the media’s contribution to prevention, access to justice, survivor support and broader social change.
