Women from the Middle East and North African region now have the opportunity to enrol for an online Arabic course in media management.
fraycollege has launched its first training programme in Arabic, with learners from Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon enrolling for the online course in media management.
The course was launched at a workshop in Cairo, Egypt, with attendees from the WAN-IFRA Women in News Programme, as well as the Strengthening Media and Society programme in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
“The Women in News programme has had a tremendous impact on the leadership profile of participating media houses,” said Paula Fray, the lead trainer at fraycollege.
“In less than a decade, the media management component has grown from ad hoc sessions to fully accredited certificates and online programmes, reflecting not only the trust of media houses in the programme but also the seriousness that the sector takes media diversity,” Fray said.
“The online training is an important part of the Women in News Program as it benefits women journalists who are unable to physically attend classes,” said WAN-IFRA Women in News MENA Programme Manager Myra Abdallah.
“For example, it can be challenging for some women journalists who are married or have children to be able to be away for two consecutive weeks. Other women journalists work in media organisations that are understaffed and rarely have the permission to leave the newsroom for a long period to attend the training. Many women journalists also face difficulties being nominated to attend workshops or trainings, especially when media organisations prefer sending male colleagues to be trained,” said Abdallah.
“The online media management training allows all these women journalists to build their capacities at their own pace and on their own time, and this is a very important part in the advancement of their career,” she added.
Fray, a former newspaper editor, noted that many media managers - male and female - often assume management positions without having had any training for the post.
“We developed a programme that gives journalists a bird’s eye view of the sector, with an introduction to key elements such as management, finance, human resources, marketing and advertising,” said Fray.
Key to these management skills is an understanding of the dramatic changes within the media sector and the ability to adapt and implement change.
The online course contains six modules, each focusing on specific management aspects. Each module includes a case study of a woman media manager, as well as a video interview outlining her views on special management aspects.
Women leaders profiled include Rappler publisher, Maria Ressa, of the Philippines; founder of Egypt’s Welad El Balad, Fatemah Farag; Kenyan Pamella Makotsi Sittoni, who is the executive editor of Nation Media's Daily Nation; Lisa Macleod, head of digital at Tiso Blackstar Group in South Africa and many others.
For more information on fraycollege online courses, click here.