The rise of Bokani King

Introducing Bokani King, a multi-skilled and enterprising journalist who has just joined Women in News (WIN) as their new Chairperson. AWiM News got to hear first-hand about her journey as a female journalist and the vast ideas she plans to implement in her new position to achieve gender equality in the media.

—

In a job title that requires you to spend 98 per cent of the time interviewing others, listening to their stories, and taking notes about them, a journalist can find themselves feeling surprised and even sceptical about the prospect of someone else interviewing them.

That’s exactly how journalist, Bokani King feels at this very moment.

Remaining in a confident and collected demeanour, she admits this is her first-ever time being the one in the hot seat and not the reporter on the receiving end of the conversation. A uniquely strange feeling to be such but she welcomes it as she recognises and feels the familiar presence of a fellow female journalist undergoing similar experiences as she has.

“Being a woman in the media industry is very difficult, when I joined it was male-dominated, there was very little room for females,” Ms King shares, “when you are working with people who don’t understand the issues of women it is even more difficult.”

Tackling one of her first battles; deciding which varsity university to pick for a career in journalism, a young Ms King saw it best to pick one that would not limit her abilities but rather accelerate and broaden her outlook on the world and those within it.

The University of South Africa won the battle of varsities in 2010. For three years it became her home as she studied a double major in Psychology and Communications Science.

Even though there was no university offering a direct route into journalism at the time, the Botswana reporter has no regrets for the two majors have shaped the journalist she is today.

“Because I am passionate about writing gendered stories about women, children and disability-related stories when I do my interviews, it’s more than just writing,” she adds “It’s about getting deeper into the issues and understanding psychologically how certain experiences can affect people so that we can share their stories impactfully.”

Being in the media industry for the last 6 years, the humanitarian believes journalists have a meaningful duty and role to play in society:  “As journalists, not only are we aware of the different issues happening in our communities but we have influence as reporters to help better the lives of the people that we interview and write for.”

Gender inequality in Southern African countries such as Botswana remains to be a significant issue affecting women. Only 10.8 per cent of seats in the Botswana Parliament were held by women in 2021 states a UN Women report. Cases of gender-based violence (GBV) have also heightened in recent years with cases reaching 272 in 2020, causing real concern for African women’s welfare.

Such gender disparities can also be translated into the media industry for female journalists.

“What drives me to push for gender policies is how there are more and more young women distancing themselves from the media industry because of the lack of policies in place, “ Ms King tells AWiM News, “Policies that can protect them from sexual harassment, hate crimes, GBV and glass ceilings.”

All of these issues are ongoing problems within newsrooms that have been happening for decades.

Organisations like Women in News (WiN) which collaborate with newsrooms and boardrooms across Africa, the Arab Region, and Southeast Asia have been established to diminish gender gaps within the media.

Ms King, as an advocator for women’s rights and gender equality, was introduced to WiN by a friend who had graduated from one of the programmes the organisation started to accelerate female journalists in the industry.

Sold by the values and mission of WiN, the Botswana reporter applied for a 9-month-long trainee programme with the organisation in 2019.  Soon after she was chosen to be part of the 2020 cohort – marking the start of her journey with WiN.

“It was such an enriching programme, in those nine months, we were being coached by women who have been in the industry for several years and so they understood how to tackle the issues we were facing,” she reveals, “Issues of sexual harassment and even low motivation because as a woman you’re constantly pushed down but they taught us how to pick ourselves up and shine in the industry.”

Undergoing these challenges is not only subject to being inside the workplace but also externally as online harassment has become another prominent issue for female journalists.

Handling the stress, trauma and pressure applied by these difficult experiences is undoubtedly challenging and can place a heavy toll on an individual’s mental health.

According to UNESCO, the most prevalent impact online abuse had against female reporters was on their mental health. 12 per cent of survey respondents said they had to seek medical support and psychological support as a result. Some even were diagnosed with symptoms relating to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Journalism on its own is a stressful job, “ Ms King states, “During rough situations, I had to counsel myself and address whether I was going to let some of the contributing issues affect my career.”

The knowledge and experience she gained from studying psychology at university is a key factor in her ability to find sustainable coping mechanisms for her mental health.

It is also why the empowering journalist is a firm believer in having psychology modules and practices in place for everyone in the media industry. As the new chairperson for WiN, this is a cause she will continue to advocate for.

From being a trainee and volunteer for WiN to being announced the Chairperson for Botswana and Namibia on the 25^th of June, Ms King has established a long-standing relationship with the organisation.

“My time with WiN so far has helped me to identify the gender-specific gaps we need to fix in the industry and how we need to work together as women to achieve change.”

Not only that, collaborative efforts championing gender equality need to come in the form of all genders, she adds: “For us to be able to achieve gender balance in media houses, we also need men to take part and understand the importance of having females in the newsroom,”

This is due to how certain issues directly correlate to the gender experiencing them.

“Having women in media houses helps to elevate and give them credibility on matters that concern females,” says Ms King “certain topics may be sensitive and as a result require female knowledge  and understanding.”

During her first programme with WiN, she learnt about leadership in the media industry and how to rise from the lower levels to the top levels.

Her new position in the organisation is not the only example of how she is continually championing the industry as a young female journalist.

King on Media is Ms King’s very own communications agency, founded during the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.

As an extension of her work in philanthropy, the media company helps to provide media solutions for start-ups, small businesses, and established companies owned by marginalised groups.

Using a combination of social media management, photography, public relations and broadcast journalism, King on Media not only reflects how versatile the inspiring journalist is but how she represents the multiple capabilities women in media can have even in the business landscape.

“I am passionate about addressing issues on a bigger scale because sometimes audiences feel like the news only serves to feed them with propaganda,” she says, “That’s why I produced my own media company to act as a bigger platform to get messages out there outside of journalism.”

She hopes to improve the opportunities for women and young adults in the African media industry who are starting businesses and organisations about social change.

At times, aspiring young journalists entering the industry struggle to find direct routes into journalism.

Reflecting upon her industry experiences, Ms King advises: “They must take hold of the opportunities that are already in place for young women to improve their skills in the media industry,”

She adds: “There are, scholarships and fellowships available with different media houses across the world now.”

Having overcome many of the trials and tribulations females can face in an industry that has been male-dominated for decades, WiN’s new chairperson is walking in boldness and with an undying determination to empower her fellow female journalists.

“You don’t know how large your voice is going to be in the workplace or how much change you are going to make so don’t be intimated, be bold,”

“It is our time to shine!” Ms king tells the upcoming journalists.

Together with WiN’s driven team of female media professionals and their new chairperson, gender equality policies within Botswana and Namibia are in for a great awakening.

This article is part of African Women in Media (AWiM) Graduate Trainee Programme in collaboration with FOJO Media Institute