Mentorship changes female journalists’ personal and professional behavior

Female journalists who were direct beneficiaries of the Social Impact Reporting Initiative, SIRI , confess that the project had an impact on mentees personal and professional behavior. In their view, the project;

• Increased their self-awareness
• Increased their self-initiatives
• Built their attitude about work
• Increased their personal credibility, accountability and responsibility
• Increased their self-confidence
• Broadened their understanding of the industry`s demands
• Increased their job market

Mentors in their evaluation reports mentioned various tangible things which they attributed directly to the project. One of the mentors, Salome Kitomary said the way the project was structured, helped journalists become independent, accountable and responsible.

She also pointed out a number of positive scorers she observed in mentees during the project. In her ` views, mentees have improved in various aspects including in the ability to carry out well-researched stories, use multiple and relevant sources, application of professional standards in their stories and in handling assignments confidently and professionally.

Another mentor, Janet Otieno said by mentees being mentored through the whole process from pitching, story development, editing until the publishing stage by their mentor, it helped them learn new ways of developing story ideas and creative story telling. The mentees also had the opportunity to be taken through solution journalism through the mentorship process for instance all stories they produced offered solutions to the issues that were raised.

She said the way the project was designed also gave the opportunity journalists to build their professional networks with other journalists from other media houses under the project

“For me it is that personal satisfaction that I have helped a journalist improve their story telling skills and learn news ways of reporting and improve their thinking. One lesson I learnt is to always be responsive and insightful as a mentor and not leave mentees to struggle on their own,’’ she said

Beatrice Bandawe said, “By mentors continuing offering guidance to participants at each stage of their work, it encouraged them to correct mistakes on time and created trust among mentor and mentee, something which is good for learning. Mentorship helped reporters bring the best out of themselves’’

Another mentor, Joyce Shebe said assigning journalists to produce two stories each had a great impact on mentees personal and professional behavior.