EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF JOURNALISM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY WOMEN JOURNALISTS AT OSUN STATE BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Abstract

There have been a rise in the number of women seeking entrepreneurship and pursuing journalism careers. This trend highlights several difficulties these women encounter in juggling their responsibilities and career roles. These  women are examples of resiliency, inventiveness, and determination in the face of difficulty, from breaking news stories to breaking barriers in business. While research exist on difficulties faced by female journalists, little is known about the challenges encountered by female journalists who may be interested in pursuing business ventures in addition to their journalism careers. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the difficulties faced by female journalists-entrepreneurs, examining the complex relationships that influence their career paths. This study employed a qualitative research design, with Feminist theory used as the theoretical framework. The data were collected through interviews with five conveniently selected women journalists-entrepreneurs, from Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC). Data from the interview was transcribed, translated, and thematically analysed. Findings revealed that attending to family’s needs is the most challenging, such as the demands of being a mother, attending family functions, forgetting to meet some family/personal tasks due to demands from work and business, colleagues purchasing products and not paying when due is also challenging. Therefore, this study recommended that women should have a to-do list for daily and weekly activities to ensure demands do not clash. Furthermore, women should have sales representatives to assist with business operations while at work, this will help have a healthy balance between their journalism careers, entrepreneurial pursuits, and personal life to avoid burnout. In addition, governments should increase access to funding for women journalist-entrepreneurs through grants, loans, and investment opportunities.