A one-day training session for journalists and other interested stakeholders was held today at the PR Center in Podgorica, focused on improving media reporting on women in public and political life.

Throughout the training, participants had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge across several thematic units regarding the identification and suppression of 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, where practical examples were analyzed, including misogyny, stereotypes, and the targeting of women in politics through media content and online comments.

In the second half of the training, participants worked on the principles of responsible and gender-sensitive reporting, focusing on language use and the avoidance of stereotypes when reporting on women in the public sphere.

The practical portion of the training included work on concrete examples—analyzing articles and headlines, identifying problematic formulations, and exercises in reformatting content in accordance with professional and ethical standards. The training was led by certified gender-based hate speech trainer, Miodrag Strugar.

The session concluded with an evaluation and an exchange of impressions, during which participants highlighted the importance of such education for improving the quality of media reporting and creating a safer public space.

This one-day training was implemented as part of 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.