Faith Ndou
BULAWAYO-The three day Friedrich Naumann Foundation Journalism Womentorship Fellowship workshop, which ended yesterday in Bulawayo has been hailed as a resounding success, with female journalists expressing gratitude for the opportunity to learn and grow through the programme.
The fellowship was facilitated by veteran journalists with more experience in the industry including Faith Zaba, Fungisai Sithole, Victoria Ruzvidzo, Annie Mpalume and Lifaqane Nare.
Over the course of the workshop, participants engaged in diverse topics such as surviving the newsroom, finding your beat, climate change reporting, fact checking, business and financial reporting, AI journalism, digi-preneurship, broadcasting and podcasting, digital multimedia, cyberbullying and online harassment, personal branding and breaking the glass ceiling.
Speaking on Surviving the Newsroom, Victoria Ruzvidzo, Editor of The Herald encouraged journalists to remain open minded and embrace diversity in storytelling.
“A journalist should seek mentorship from senior colleagues and build strong networks within the industry to learn and grow,” she advised.
Faith Zaba, Editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, underscored the importance of financial independence, urging journalists to monetise their skills without compromising credibility.
“Reporters must learn to make money from their work to survive. Your credibility is your most important asset,” she stressed.
Zaba further encouraged participants to become digi preneurs by leveraging digital tools to create marketable content.
“The future belongs to those who plan for it,” she said, urging journalists to plan content production.
To remain resilient, she noted that journalists must embrace new technologies, learn photography, videography, graphics and master digital platforms.
She also highlighted opportunities to connect with international funding organisations and urged participants to build visibility on platforms such as X, LinkedIn and Facebook.
On the subject of fact checking, Lifaqane Nare of Fact Check Zimbabwe emphasised the need for journalists to verify information before publishing, warning that misinformation misleads the public and undermines trust.
Participants left the fellowship feeling inspired and re energised.
One attendee said, “I am truly grateful to have been part of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Journalism Womentorship Fellowship workshop. It was an inspiring and enriching experience, learning from seasoned journalists and gaining deeper insights into newsroom practice and the media landscape.”
Others echoed similar sentiments, describing themselves as thankful, motivated and ready to apply the knowledge gained in their careers.
