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Transcript/Script
USAGM SHARE
(((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV Somalia All-Women Media – Mahmud
HEADLINE: A Year On, Somalia’s All-Women Media Outlet Thrives
TEASER: Despite threats and intimidation, Somali reporters are bucking societal norms of what their role should be in the profession, one story at a time
PUBLISHED AT: 05/04/2023 at 9:15AM
BYLINE: Mohamed Mahmud
DATELINE: Mogadishu, Somalia
VIDEOGRAPHER:
VIDEO EDITOR: Salem Solomon
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; MAS
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, Bilan Media, AFP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:21
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TV
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
[[Bilan Media, an all-female media outlet in Somalia marked its first-year anniversary in April, bucking societal expectations of what a woman’s role should be. Mohamed Mahmud visited their newsroom in Mogadishu, narrated by VOA's Salem Solomon.]]
((NARRATOR))
This is Bilan Media, an all-female newsroom that has been operating for a year now. Bilan comes from the Somali word which roughly means “shining a light.”
The outlet is thriving despite threats and intimidation against staff, who challenge authorities in their reporting and defy views about a woman’s role in society.
((Fathi Mohamed Ahmed, Bilan Media Chief Editor)) ((Female, in Somali))
“When you go out there, some people believe that this female-only newsroom is against our culture. It’s just what people believe and it's hard to change their minds. But a female-only newsroom is possible."
(Mandatory courtesy: Bilan Media))
((NARRATOR))
Th e journalists at Bilan Media report on various topics, including health, agriculture, and stories that impact women, like sexual harassment and domestic violence, topics considered taboo in the community.
((Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim, Bilan Media Editor in Chief)) ((Female, Somali))
“We focus on stories that are crucial for the Somali communities we live in. They are stories of things our people see as normal, but these are things that are not investigated properly. If it were to be investigated and broadcast, then we might find solutions for the future.”
((Mandatory courtesy: Bilan Media))
((NARRATOR))
Coverage also reflects gender parity.
Bilan Media interviewed Naima Hassan, who lives in Mogadishu, for a story about women in technology.
((Naima Hassan, Somalia's National Communication Authority Engineer)) ((Female, in English))
“I am very happy that there is this female-led reporting team working in Somalia. They are focusing on issues that face the Somali women, the Somali female population. And it really gives us motivation as other female voices in Somalia to sort of try and talk about our experiences, and our, the issues that we face.”
((NARRATOR))
Now more women at Bilan Media are also finding roles behind the camera doing technical work.
((Farhia Murad, Bilan Media Multimedia Journalist)) ((Female, in Somali))
“Most of the Somali media believe that the female journalists should just be reading the news. But women here show they can also do the complete production work. And this has motivated other women to believe in themselves; that they can shoot, edit, and prepare news in the technical parts of the job.”
((NARRATOR))
Despite the challenges, the women at Bilan Media say they won’t be deterred by setbacks and will keep telling the stories that matter to their audience.
((For Mohamed Mahmud in Mogadishu, Somalia, Salem Solomon, VOA News.))
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