Monrovia, Liberia, August 24, 2018//- – The West Africa ICT Action Network (WAICTNET) has kicked off a two-day Digital Security for female journalists in Liberia.
WAICTNET LIBERIA is a new sub-regional ICT advocacy, academia and research organization operating in Liberia.
The training which began on Tuesday at the Liberia Media Center (LMC) in Sinkor is being organized in collaboration with the Female Journalist Association (FEJA).
Over the last two days, the media practitioners will be taught on Device Security, Information security for investigative journalists as well as fundamental of Digital Security.
WAICTANET Executive Director, PeterKing Quaye said the main role of the training workshop is to equip female journalist in digital security, as many female journalists come under serious attacked online while doing their professional work.
He described the training as vital to modern journalism, as it will present both practical and theoretical knowledge and skills to the participants.
“There is a strong need to empower Liberians especially the females with digital skills, this will ensure improvement in their work,” he said.
Mr. Quaye added that the first training in a series of training programs developed with the overarching goal of building the technical capacity of female journalists in digital security for increased awareness on safe online, digital security fundamentals as well as device security and use of digital security tools and other digital security measures for journalist.
Meanwhile, FIJA President Ciatta Scott Johnson said female journalists are struggling to compete with their male counterparts in the media landscape due to limited knowledge on Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Madam Johnson lamented that Female Journalists have been denied major positions in their respective newsrooms due to either little or no knowledge on Information Technology.
The FEJA President then urged the over 20 participants at the seminar to make maximum use of information that will be provided by the facilitators.
“There are still lots of things that we don’t know, especially ICT Security to build our capacity, because these are the things that our male counterparts use against us. These are the reasons why they say we can’t be a news editor, we can’t be news director,” she added.
Madam Johnson thanked the West Africa ICT Action Network (WAICTNET) for the organization of the seminar, describing it as a once in a lifetime opportunity for female journalists.
