The tough task of female editors
However, in recent times, despite the enormous task involved in producing newspapers more women now occupy top editorial positions, giving the direction to achieve set objectives, even in the face of gender challenges and their peculiar status as wives and mothers. Some female editors, who spoke to our reporter, said their responsibilities are enormous and […]
However, in recent times, despite the enormous task involved in producing newspapers more women now occupy top editorial positions, giving the direction to achieve set objectives, even in the face of gender challenges and their peculiar status as wives and mothers.
Some female editors, who spoke to our reporter, said their responsibilities are enormous and demanding, particularly because they have other natural roles to perform as women at home. Notwithstanding their passion for the job, the support from their husbands is vital to their success.
The divisional director (Editorial) of Leadership newspapers, Mrs Chinyere Fred- Adegbulugbe told Sunday Trust that “everything in life causes challenges. Even here, I’m faced with the challenges of dealing with line editors; I’m dealing with my bosses, that is the publisher and the managing director, therefore, I must have a way of balancing it so that I don’t, at any point in time, disappoint any of these people I have mentioned. As management staff in a newspaper house and head of the editorial department, I have a duty to carry out the mandate given to me by the management to ensure that the editorial department is alive to the vision of the company. In doing this, I try not to hurt those I’m supposed to be supervising so that I can bring the best out of them”.
She said a lot is ascribed to things they do as women, especially when they are dealing with male subordinates. Even when female bosses don’t mean any harm by their actions “they are likely to say oh, what do you expect from her because she is a woman. Some may even tell you how dare you tell them what to do. I have someone like her at home.”
Mrs Adegbulugbe stated that the media industry itself is challenging, even for the men. She said it’s an industry that one is expected to work 24 hours, seven days a week. “I work seven days a week, I’m first of all a wife and mother. I’m my husband’s wife, my children’s mother and I find myself in an industry like this where you are expected to supervise whatever journalists do to produce a newspaper. You know newspapers are produced seven days a week. This puts a lot of pressure on me. I don’t go to parties. I don’t visit family friends. The little time I have I spend with my family.”
She observed that one might need to go to a management school to know how to manage time so that one doesn’t end up neglecting her family. “It gets to a time that you tell yourself, do I really need to allow my family to suffer this much because of this job? There is no way you will work seven days a week, let me not deceive you, that your family won’t suffer. You really need to do your balancing act. Even though I tried to please my bosses, I also find a way to please my family, too. If I have to stay in office from morning to 12 am, a times, what is it that I have done to make sure that those I left behind are taken care of? What have I done to make sure that the man who has gone to work finds something to eat when he comes back? When the children comes back from school there should be someone there to take proper care of them. These are the major challenges many women who find themselves in top editorial positions of newspapers are facing. For me, inasmuch I love the job I find a way of taking care of the situation. I try as much as I could to see that my family doesn’t suffer, while I try to do my best on my assigned responsibilities,” she said
In the same vein, the Executive Editor of Blueprint newspaper, Hajiya Zainab Suleiman Okino, admitted to the enormous challenges she faces on a daily basis. She also said it is tough combining the editorial duties with managing her home as a wife and mother. However, she said though the task of producing a newspaper is challenging, the driving force for her is the passion for the job, coupled with the support and understanding of her husband. “Really, there are challenges on the job, but I thank God my husband has been very supportive. He understands the nature of the job. Besides, my children are grown up; they can take care of themselves in my absence. Whenever I’m at home, I try to make up for my absence,” she said.
On her position, she said she is able to perform her assigned responsibilities as Executive Editor because, right from her days as a reporter, she had learnt to take any assigned responsibilities with the seriousness they required. “I have had the privilege of working on virtually all desks in editorial department. I was once a Feature Editor, Weekly editor and Managing Editor. I have also worked as a Deputy Production Editor. I think what has helped me is that I don’t refuse any responsibility assigned to me.”
Hajiya Okino urged upcoming women in the profession to be up and doing, if they must excel. “I will only advise them to put in their best on any beat they are assigned to. They should not think it is because their bosses hate them that they are being assigned responsibilities. Whatever you are asked to do just do it because it will help you in future. Today, I thank God that whereever I find myself on the job I can fit in. I’m happy there is nothing my colleagues can do that I cannot do, except what I can do that they cannot do. This is because of my exposure and determination to face any challenges and taking up any responsibilities given to me with seriousness and determination.”
She insisted that there should be no excuse for errors in newspapers. Okino observed that by any means errors should be avoided because once they are committed they cannot be corrected. “Errors should not be tolerated,” she said.