CrispNG’s Blessing Chukwuneke selected for African women journalism fellowship

Blessing Chukwuneke, a journalist with CrispNG, the youth-driven platform, has been selected for the 2023 Women in Journalism Fellowship organised by Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP).

The AFYMP is a media skills/career development organisation based in Nigeria with operations across Africa.

The organisation aims to elevate Africa’s media practice and landscape into global standard through capacity development and reinforcement of right values.

Blessing was among 26 participants selected for the ‘Women in Journalism Fellowship’ which featured female journalists from different countries across Africa.

The two-day intensive training featured several career-moulding sessions led by ace journalists including Bimbo Oloyode, Abimbola Bello, Stella Din-Jacobs, Kofoworola Bello Osagie, and Prof. Suraj Olunifesi.

Reflecting on the fellowship, Blessing said being a part of the training was a wonderful experience. 

She also thanked the management of CrispNG for giving her the platform to grow her journalism career.

“Growth is one thing every human aspires for and I am grateful to have been given the platform for growth at CrispNG,” she said.

“This is part of my baby steps in journalism and I’m grateful for the opportunity, it assures me that I’m moving in the right direction. I learnt so much in the training ranging from staying power, leading the newsroom, mental health, gender mainstreaming, media law and ethics, pitch and grant writing to cyber bullying. 

“Above all, I had the opportunity to connect with intelligent and confident women in the media space who have become an inspiration to me and this validates my vision for the future, as well as pushes me to work harder.

“Women are important in the media space just as they are in the home, women need to be given the opportunity to tell stories, they need to be given more opportunities to lead in the media space, their voices need to be heard in order to bring about true progress to the society. 

“While taking on professional roles, they need to be able to have a healthy work and life balance with the support of their media organisation, so as to sustain their mental health and become productive. They also need to be protected even in the online space”.

Blessing is a Nigerian multi-media journalist specialising in education and politics reporting as well as research and storytelling. 

The graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has worked with several media houses in the past including Vanguard Newspaper and Media Choice Limited.

She is currently a freelance writer and programme host at CrispNG where she writes youth-oriented stories. 

Blessing also hosts ‘Youth Yarn’, a weekly Twitter space organised by CrispNG to discuss topical issues. 

The development comes weeks after Ridwan Jabir, another journalist with CrispNG, was also selected for global fact-checking fellowship.