GENDER AS A PROFESSIONAL RISK FACTOR IN JOURNALISM: A STUDY OF FEMALE JOURNALISTS IN KADUNA STATE

Amirah Galadima Soba and Abubakar Farrau

ABSTRACT

This study examined the issues of Gender as a Professional risk factor in journalism among female journalists in Kaduna State. Safety of journalists around the world has become an issue of concern due to the level of threats and attacks against them. Intimidation and violence against journalists are been executed in a way to silence and prevent the journalists from reporting such information and thus depriving people of their fundamental right to seek, receive and impart information. Several studies about safety hazards of journalists have been carried out internationally and at national level which report a number of journalists whom were recently arrested, attacked and threatened however this journalist face other forms of safety issues, but for many years, attacks and other forms of violence against female journalists is under-reported. The study employed the protection motivation theory and adopted a census using a reliable structured questionnaire. Data were solicited from 102 respondents, with 90 retrieved and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that Women journalists encountered different professional risk and hazards such as intimidations, threat, abuses and harassments. Women are subjected to various form of threat such as online threat, attempt to damage their image, abduction, abuse of power etc. the most common perpetrators of these attacks are their male bosses, supervisors, the police, co-workers and government officials.  The study recommends that female journalists should not feel intimidated; she must prove that she is competent and must be respected; Media organizations need to expand its training including refresher courses and seminars and also provide personal safety and security measures to the female journalists.

Keywords: Safety of Journalists, Female Journalists, Threats, Intimidation, Harassments