On May 13th, a one-day training session for male and female journalists, as well as all other interested stakeholders, was held at the Cultural Center in Bijelo Polje, focusing on the improvement of media reporting on women in public and political life.
Throughout the training, participants had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge across several thematic units on identifying and combating hate speech, with a specific focus on gender-based hate speech. The distinction between hate speech and freedom of expression was discussed, alongside the relevant legal framework in Montenegro.
A special segment was dedicated to the role of the media in shaping public discourse, during which practical examples were analyzed, including misogyny, stereotypes, and the targeting of women in politics through media content and online comments.
In the subsequent part of the training, participants focused on the principles of responsible and gender-sensitive reporting, emphasizing language usage and the avoidance of stereotypes when reporting on women in the public sphere.
The practical session of the training involved hands-on work with specific examples—analyzing articles and headlines, identifying problematic phrasing, and practicing the rewriting of content in accordance with professional and ethical standards. The training was led by certified trainer for gender-based hate speech, Miodrag Strugar.
The training concluded with an evaluation and an exchange of impressions, during which participants highlighted the importance of such educational initiatives for improving the quality of media reporting and creating a safer public space.
The one-day training was implemented within the project "Equal in Public – For a Safe Public Space in Montenegro", conducted by CeMI with the financial support of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights.