Media Engagement
Media Engagement
The Marang Southern Africa LGBTIQ Fund Media Training, scheduled from 6 to 20 October 2025 across Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Madagascar, and Mauritius, is a regional initiative designed to strengthen professional standards of reporting on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. At least fifty journalists will be trained and mentored to produce high-quality, ethical journalism that reflects the diversity of Southern African societies. The training combines workshops, story pitching, and a structured process for publication, complemented by the GL Academy’s online course Mainstreaming SOGIE: Changing Discourse & Shifting Narratives.
Background
The Marang Fund, managed by Gender Links in partnership with the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) and supported by the European Union, operates in five Southern African countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
The Marang Fund, meaning “rays of sunlight” in Setswana, is a collaboration between Gender Links and BONELA with support from the European Union. It provides resources, capacity-building, and advocacy support to community-led organisations in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Madagascar, and Mauritius. The Media Training reflects the Fund’s commitment to ensuring that narratives shaping public understanding are professional, accurate, and reflective of the full diversity of the region.
The Fund provides grants, technical support, and advocacy tools to strengthen inclusive societies. Recognising the influential role of media in shaping public knowledge, the Fund has prioritised investment in media training. The Marang Fund Media Training offers journalists an opportunity to enhance their professional practice by building knowledge, refining ethical approaches, and developing practical skills. Through a balance of interactive sessions, debates, and group work, journalists will examine representation, ethics, safety, and responsibility in reporting. The programme is directly linked to outputs, as participants are required to develop and pitch story ideas for publication.
The training is not only a capacity-building exercise, but a practical intervention that ensures that the skills acquired are translated into concrete outputs. By anchoring the initiative in professional journalism standards, the Marang Fund seeks to contribute to improved reporting quality, enhanced editorial integrity, and more informed public discourse.
Process
TOT for in-country facilitators: on 3 October GL will brief expert facilitators in each country who will deliver the training in partnership with respective country staff.
F2F Inception workshops: The Media Training will be implemented in each of the five participating countries between 6 and 20 October 2025. The one-day sessions will be facilitated by experienced trainers who will lead discussions on how stories are framed, the application of ethics to sensitive reporting, and the responsibilities of journalists when working with vulnerable sources. Journalists will participate in practical exercises such as news monitoring, structured debates, and a story development workshop, culminating in the submission of pitches through an online platform.
Ongoing online learning: The training will also be complemented by the GL Academy’s online course, Mainstreaming SOGIE: Changing Discourse & Shifting Narratives. This four-part series will run from October 2025 to March 2026 and will provide a structured learning pathway on intersectionality, policy, rights, and advocacy. Together, the in-person training and online modules provide a holistic approach to professional development.
Stories: The pitching process will require journalists to outline the story’s relevance, sources to be used, potential risks, and safety measures. Each pitch will be reviewed and feedback provided before approval. The Marang Fund and its partners in each country will provide rich sources and documents for the media to draw on. Accepted stories will be published in local media outlets, with each approved piece supported by a stipend of EUR 100.
Support and on the job training: Expert facilitators will assist Country staff will mentor participants, assisting with the review process, and compiling outcomes at the national level. This structure ensures that the training is linked directly to country-level workplans and targeted outputs, while also providing consolidated data for EU reporting.
SADC Protocol@Work Summits: We will also be inviting active participants in the programme to participate in GL’s annual SADC Gender Protocol@Work summit in Johannesburg in March 2026, where we recognise and affirm excellence in promoting gender justice through prestigious awards.
Discover more