Sports Media Workshop Results in 14 Participants Being Awarded Pacific Games Media Internships
Date:
[JOINT MEDIA RELEASE – NUS and UN Women]
Apia, Samoa – This week Samoan journalism students have been awarded internships with major media outlets covering the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games, as a result of the Equal Playing Field; Reporting for Women and Sport workshop.
The workshop, held 25-27 June 2019, has been supported by UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) in partnership with the National University of Samoa (NUS) and the Pacific Games Office and organised through the Journalists Association of (Western) Samoa (JAWS).
The workshop attracted more than twenty journalists, journalism students and athletes keen to learn and share ideas about professional media and social media sports reportage, and to ensure fair and empowering coverage of all athletes regardless of whether they are women or men champions.
“We are so pleased to co-host this workshop with UN Women, and to have our journalism students involved in the practical learning sessions that have ranged from Press Conferences, to interviewing athletes, hearing from national and international experts, and more,” said NUS Head of the Media and Communication Department, Vicky Lepou.
“The workshop has assisted these students to transform into work-ready sports journalists who have each produced social media sports news bulletins now posted on our NUS Facebook page,” Ms Lepou said.
“Through the workshop, students have also successfully applied for accreditation to access the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games media centre and been awarded internships to support media agencies in their Games coverage.”
Of the 14 internships awarded to workshop participants to assist with its coverage of the Pacific Games, the Melanesian Media Group (MMG) has nominated six NUS journalism students; Samoa Global News will have one NUS student and three athletes now trained as social media reporters, and the Pacific Games Office will have four interns working for the sports news service within the Pacific Games Office.
Country Programme Coordinator for UN Women in Samoa, Papali’i Mele Maualaivao, said, “we’ve been really pleased by the reception of professional media, students and athletes in creating new connections and relationships, especially athletes and students.”
“These friendships will go beyond the walls of the workshop and manifest in mutual respect and strengthened engagement across the media and sport sectors here in Samoa.
“Knowing that all of the participants will take these newfound skills and respect for gender equality to the Pacific Games, resulting in more unbiased coverage and celebration of female athletic achievement is truly heartwarming,” Ms Maualaivao said.
The workshop provided participants with information, learning exchanges and discussions around the #EqualPlayingField approach to sports reporting, including the challenges and the benefits of ensuring fair reportage of women in sport and also encouraging more Samoan women sports reporters.
Media enquiries should be directed to:
National University of Samoa (NUS) Head of Media and Communication Department, Vicky Lepou (+685 7666573)
UN Women, Country Programme Coordinator for UN Women in Samoa, Mele Maualaivao: Mele .Maualaivao@unwomen.org or Communications Specialist Jacqui Berrell: [ Click to reveal ]