A further reshuffle in the cabinet ranks with spectre of yet another on the horizon, Windhoek Observer

A Cabinet reshuffles ushers in a woman as the first permanent secretary in the new office of Attorney General.
A Cabinet reshuffles ushers in a woman as the first permanent secretary in the new office of Attorney General.

•  Demonstrate gender-blind reporting and imaging.

Gender-blind reporting

In this article, the reporter and editor illustrate a gender-blind approach to reporting on politics and governance. By focusing on the angle of the cabinet reshuffles, the reporter buries the real news angle of the story: the appointment of a woman as the first permanent secretary in the new office of Attorney General, as the government begins to fast-track more women into senior government posts.

The reporter’s approach to the story tends to marginalize the appointment of women as a secondary issue and places more emphasis on the men switching ministerial chairs. This approach conveys the message that it is the men who are more powerful and therefore more newsworthy, than the women.

The new permanent secretary Vicki Erenstein ya Toivo‘s identity is tagged to that of her husband who is became the Minister of Prisons and Correctional Services. Women in senior positions in government are often identified in relation to their husbands or fathers by the media, as a way to make their movement into governance and politics less threatening.

There are no named sources in the story which is based on rumours(note the story says unconfirmed rumours, but by definition rumours are unconfirmed), a press statement from the Prime Minister’s office and unidentified sources. This unprofessional approach of relying on unnamed and identified sources is often used in news reporting and news analysis of politics.

News gains its credibility and value based on the source from which it is obtained. The story would be stronger if the information had been sourced to a government official close to the President or a senior official in the ruling party. By relying on unidentified sources and rumour, the story lacks credibility and could be construed as just ‘hear say’.

Therefore, the information on more women in governance structures looses its credibility and value in the story because it is attributed to rumours. The reporter once hearing a rumour to this effect, should have conducted interviews with women and men in the ruling party and government to confirm  the veracity of the information.

What is missing from the story:

• The voices and perspectives on women and men in government on the shakeup and the push to get more women into power;
• Data on where women and men are in senior government positions;
• A breakdown of the portfolios women hold in government and a gendered analysis of these positions for women; and
• Background on the national policy, the party’s policy or both which calls for more women in governance positions. Details on how many women and how this will be achieved also would add depth and a context for this news story.
• Interviews with civil society groups, eg Sister Namibia.

Imaging gender

Download : A further reshufling in cabinet