Fellowship to strengthen reporting on women’s economic concerns

A group of 17 journalists from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu will soon join a new APJC fellowship on reporting on women’s economic concerns and advancing women as media leaders.

The 5-week fellowship gets under way on May 4 with a series of activities including a seminar to develop personal and professional leadership skills, business and digital journalism workshops, field trips, and professional visits with leaders in government, business, media, agriculture and education.

Supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australia Awards Fellowship scheme, the program aims to support the journalists to develop their skills for inclusive reporting that reflects women’s views and concerns on business and economic issues, as well as reporting in a way that helps to improve economic literacy in local communities.

A field trip to Canberra will provide the journalists with insights into the operations of national media and government policy development and implementation. In Albury-Wodonga the group will connect with local women across various sectors to gain an insight into the roles of women in Australia’s rural communities and the challenges they may face.

The participants will also develop strategies to implement improved journalistic and leadership skills in their local newsrooms and communities when they return home.

APJC director John Wallace said, “The program will help to forge valuable connections between journalism professionals in Australia and neighbouring countries, thus contributing to the expansion of networks that support informed dialogue and debate.”