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Dates: Monday, 06 May - Thursday, 09 May 2019 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Thomson Reuters Foundation, in partnership with Hivos, is offering a training course on Reporting LGBTI Rights for journalists from Kenya and Uganda.
Today, 70 countries around the world criminalise consensual same-sex activity or use laws to marginalise and persecute members of the LGBTI community. Discrimination against LGBTI people is often reinforced by laws, policies and practices that either fail to take LGBTI needs into account or deliberately exclude them.
Globally, the list of discriminatory laws and policies includes: making same-sex relations illegal; forbidding LGBT+ groups to form non-governmental organisations and publicly campaign for their rights; excluding same-sex couples from accessing social services; requiring trans people to undergo forced sterilisation before they can change their legal gender; and failing to provide opportunities for trans people to change their legal gender.
It is the job of the journalist to report on issues that matter. But when those issues are controversial or sensitive how easy is it to report without inflaming tensions further – or even compromising your own safety?
Our new project is aimed at journalists in Kenya and Uganda who are covering LGBTI news and who are concerned about how best to do this. Do you give one side of the story, or all sides? Are there things you cannot cover? If you make your story “impartial”, is that just another word for “boring”? We would like to work with journalists to address these issues by drawing on other journalists’ experiences as well as the Reuters principles of accuracy, integrity and freedom from bias.
Every country, no matter where in the world, has issues that people either avoid altogether or discuss in a one-sided manner. We want to help journalists in Kenya and Uganda consider how to cover these stories in a way that is both informed and engaging, and that respects the views of all who are involved.
The intensive four-day workshop, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from Monday, 06 May – Thursday, 09 May 2019, will build the capacity of journalists to report on LGBTI rights – covering relevant journalism skills, safety, help journalists to present new viewpoints and promote discussion and support with developing specific stories.
The workshop offers a combination of specialist expertise and hands-on training, with an emphasis on producing high-impact stories for widespread dissemination.
This should not be seen as a one-off workshop; we expect all journalists who are selected to attend to pursue stories along these issues after the workshop.
In parallel, 10 practitioners from civil society will attend a training on LGBTI rights. On Day 4 of the workshop, we will bring journalists and civil society actors together to attend a joint training day.
Detailed information about the civil society course and applications can be found here. See below for the application link for the journalism course.
Who Can Apply
This is an opportunity for journalists from across Kenya and Uganda working for established media organisations (including online publications).
Applicants must be full-time journalists or regular contributors to a media organisation. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a commitment to a career in journalism in their country, should have at least five years’ professional experience and have a good level in spoken and written English.
The programme is looking for participants who:
- Have a strong motivation to investigate and report on LGBTI rights
- Are strongly motivated to help transform existing paradigms
- Are open to different and new ways of thinking
- Are interested in developing personally
Course Logistics
Successful applicants will receive a full bursary that will cover travel expenses (including economy air travel for Ugandan participants), accommodation, local transfers and meals. Please note that you need to check visa requirements and ensure you have the necessary documentation required. The cost of your visa and any other related costs will be the responsibility of the participant.
Selected participants will receive modest funding to help them realise their stories.
Meet Our Experts
- Two work samples
- A letter from your editor consenting to your participation and confirming that they will publish any story produced through the programme. For example, the letter should say "I confirm that we will publish any story produced through the programme".
Please have these ready before you begin the form.