Her Media Diary Episode 19: 'Finding Your Tribe' with Comfort Mussa

Comfort Mussa is a prolific, multi-award-winning Cameroonian journalist with over 15 years of experience covering underreported stories, with a special focus on issues affecting women and girls.

Comfort's story speaks to all women out there who experience any form of chastisement for speaking up for themselves and refusing to conform to social constructs. She strongly advocates the need for female journalists to find their tribes and belong to groups that would push them to do better.

Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  

List of Organisations/Resources to Support Journalists

Holistic Resilience: Psychological care for journalists

Peace and Conflict Reporting Training

Journalists’s Toolbox

Strongminds 

Shamiri institute 

National Institute of Mental Health

Active minds 

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Annonciata Byukusenge is a multimedia journalist with 12 years of experience. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Communication from the University of Rwanda and a certificate in Media Management from Women in News. She has worked with a number of media houses and NGOs including rwandanews24 and theforefrontmagazine.

In this episode, Annonciata talks about her passion for environmental reporting and how she nurtured the desire to advocate for the environment through the media following the Rwandan genocide.

Annonciata identifies with women, Mother Earth and wildlife who are not just vulnerable but are not able to speak up for themselves especially when violated.

Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  

List of organisations/ Resources for Environmental Journalists

AWiM/UNEP Environmental Journalism Campaign

Earth Investigations Programme 

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) 

Environmental Defense Fund 

United Nations Environment Programme 

African Network of Environmental Journalists (ANEJ)

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) 

Environmental Reporting for African Journalists: A Handbook

Green Africa Foundation 

Annie Zulu is an accomplished freelance journalist with a remarkable career in the media industry spanning over 7 years. She has earned numerous awards for her outstanding contribution to Journalism. Her focus is on investigative stories that are often underreported, particularly those that address issues affecting women, children, climate change, and the environment.

In this episode, Annie shares her unique experiences while navigating the media industry as a female freelance journalist focusing on issues affecting women, children, climate change, and the environment.

Annie’s story speaks directly to freelance female journalists who have had to struggle at different points in their career journey as well as to budding freelance journalists who are on the lookout for opportunities and tips to get to the peak of their careers.

Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  

List of organisations/ Resources for Environmental Journalists

Earth Investigations Programme 

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) 

Environmental Defense Fund 

United Nations Environment Programme 

African Network of Environmental Journalists (ANEJ)

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) 

Environmental Reporting for African Journalists: A Handbook

Green Africa Foundation 

African Rainforest Conservancy 

The Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre and Network (HoA-REC&N)

Marverine Cole is a multi-award-winning broadcaster and journalist with over 30 years of experience working as a reporter and news anchor for the UK’s leading media stations including the BBC

She has produced several radio documentaries, including Black Girls Don’t Cry which earned her ‘Journalist of the Year’ at the Mind Media Awards in 2019.

In this episode, Marverine shares her journey up the media ladder as a black woman in a white-dominated UK society where a person’s skin colour plays a vital role in what they can achieve.

She also shares how she has been able to deal with the rejections which took a toll on her for so long while maintaining an outward look that everything’s great.

Marverine’s story is that of resilience and of overcoming one’s limitations to undo stereotypes. It speaks to those who are experiencing different forms of discrimination as a result of their race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality.

Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  

List of organisations for support with your mental health

Journalists’ Toolbox 

 Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation

 Mental Health Foundation

 Oasis Africa

 Mind

 Strongminds

 Shamiri Institute

 National Institute of Mental Health

Befrienders Kenya 

 Active Minds 

National Alliance on Mental Illness 

Rethink Mental Illness 

 Kamili Organization 

Verah Okeyo is an award-winning journalist, communications manager, and media trainer with over ten years of experience covering global health with a focus on maternal and child health, infectious diseases, and underrepresented communities.  

In this episode, Verah shares her journey from her childhood to the newsroom while battling with clinical depression. She shares the strategies she developed to manage her mental health and how her lived experiences have helped shape a set of values that guides how she reports the stories of others.

Verah’s story embodies strength, survival, and courage. She calls on journalists and media practitioners to first know when it’s time to check out and, secondly, to show empathy when writing stories of victims and survivors, even if they fall outside the box of our notions of who a perfect victim should be. 

Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  

List of organisations for support with your mental health 

Journalists’s Toolbox 

Africa mental health research and training foundation

Mental Health Foundation

Oasis Africa

Mind 

Strongminds 

Shamiri institute 

National Institute of Mental Health

Befrienders Kenya 

Active minds 

National Alliance on Mental Illness 

Rethink Mental Illness 

Kamili Organization 

Adelle Onyango is a Kenyan media personality, podcaster and founder of the Adelle Onyango Initiative, an organisation that empowers youth and provides psycho-social support to African women survivors of rape. Through her podcast, Legally Clueless, she captures the raw human stories of everyday Africans. 

In this episode, Adelle shares the stories behind the many brave steps she has taken, from her career to her activism and use of media to tackle gender-based violence. Adelle's story embodies resilience and what happens when you confront your fears. 

If you are contemplating that next big step, if you want to empower others through media and storytelling, you'll want to listen to this episode.

Subscribe be to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

 Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  

List of organisations that support survivors

Masimanyane Women’s Rights International: https://www.masimanyane.org/

Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC): https://gvrc.or.ke/

The Gender-based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC): https://gbv.org.za/about-us/

FORWARDUK: https://www.forwarduk.org.uk/i-need-help/

Woman’s Aid: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/ 

Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA): https://welaonline.org/

MUSASA: https://www.musasa.co.zw/

Qaanitah Hunter is a multiple award-winning journalist and political editor at News24, South Africa. She is the author of 'Balance of Power: Ramaphosa and the future of South Africa' and recently co-authored a book called 'Eight Days in July: Inside the Zuma unrest that set South Africa alight'. 

In this episode, Qaanitah shares her journey from childhood through her rise to fame and finding a voice to advocate for mental health after battling with depression. 

Qaanitah’s story is that of determination and sacrifice fueled by her childhood desire to reach the peak of her career against all odds. 

This episode is dedicated to every journalist out there who have experienced a decline in their mental health and sincerely wants to be the voice of change towards helping others navigate the media space without losing their true self. 

Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  

List of organisations for support with your mental health

Journalists’s Toolbox 

Africa mental health research and training foundation

Mental Health Foundation

Oasis Africa

Mind 

Strongminds 

Shamiri institute 

National Institute of Mental Health

Befrienders Kenya 

Moyo Thomas is a news reporter and strategic communications specialist. Describing herself as a humanist and a womanist she is a sexual and gender-based violence advocate fighting for women's rights, security and safety.  

In this episode, Moyo Thomas discusses the representation and presentation of sexual harassment and gender-based violence in Nigerian media and the cultural dimensions of gender equality.

Her call to journalists and media organisations is to be proactive in challenging male dominance in media leadership and more willingness to stop sexual harassment in the workplace. You don’t want to miss  this episode

Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary  

Learn about African Women in Media https://africanwomeninmedia.com  
 

List of organisations that support survivors

Masimanyane Women’s Rights International: https://www.masimanyane.org/

Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC): https://gvrc.or.ke/

The Gender-based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC): https://gbv.org.za/about-us/

FORWARDUK: https://www.forwarduk.org.uk/i-need-help/

Woman’s Aid: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/  

Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA): https://welaonline.org/

MUSASA: https://www.musasa.co.zw/

Soyem Osakwe is a specialist in Global communications, campaigns and advocacy. In this episode, Soyem speaks passionately about her work using effective communications strategies to raise awareness and advocate against gender-based violence. If you are a journalist or content creator, if you work for an NGO or simply want to lend your voice to real change, then you'd want to listen to this episode as Soyem shares essential tips on how she has successfully worked with ambassadors, celebrities and influencers in fighting for justice for survivors and victims of gender-based violence. 

 Soyem's episode will be released on 14 November 2022.  Subscribe to Her Media Diary now on your favourite podcasting platform https://linktr.ee/hermediadiary 

 #HerMediaDiary 

List of organisations that support survivors 

 Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA): https://welaonline.org/  

MUSASA: https://www.musasa.co.zw/  

Masimanyane Women’s Rights International: https://www.masimanyane.org/ 

 Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC): https://gvrc.or.ke/ 

 The Gender-based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC): https://gbv.org.za/about-us/ 

 FORWARDUK: https://www.forwarduk.org.uk/i-need-help/ 

 Woman’s Aid: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/