The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has commenced a crucial three-day training workshop for selected Journalists from September 10-12, 2024 at Blue Sky Hotel at Zuarungu, near Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The training is designed to equip journalists with the skills necessary for fact-based and critical reporting in Ghana’s upcoming elections.
The first day of the training featured a presentation by Nana Kwesi Gyan-Apenteng, a renowned media expert. His session covered essential aspects of quality journalism, including the principles that ensure accurate and reliable reporting. He emphasized the importance of best practices in election reporting, such as conducting thorough research, consulting diverse sources, and providing clear labeling and contextualization.
Furthermore, Nana Gyan-Apenteng addressed best practices in fact-checking, stressing the need for clear source attribution, the use of primary sources, cross-verification of information, avoidance of assumptions and biases, and transparency regarding corrections and updates.
In addition, William Nlanjerbor Jalulah, Programme Officer under the Media and Good Governance Programme at the MFWA, contributed to the training by underscoring the significance of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) code of ethics and the National Media Commission (NMC) guidelines on election reporting.
Mr. Jalulah highlighted the pivotal role journalists play in national elections, emphasizing the need for accurate and informative coverage to engage and educate the public. “As journalists, we must do our utmost best to serve the people of the country and to inform and engage them to ensure they understand what the elections are about.”
Speaking to A1 Radio’s Gifty Kudiabor, Mr. Jalulah noted that the workshop aims to build journalists’ capacity to handle the influx of information during election periods and to report based on verified facts.
“The workshop is aimed at building the capacity of the participants for fact-based and critical election reporting. We are in an election period, moving towards the 2024 general election, and we recognize the critical role journalists play in an election year. We are also in an era where information is disseminated everywhere, anytime, anyhow. Consequently, the public is exposed to a lot of information, but not all of it is factual. It is up to journalists to provide accurate reporting. For journalists to fulfill this role, we need to ensure that their capacity is built in areas that enable them to report based on facts.”
He anticipates that the training will reinvigorate journalists’ commitment to their crucial role in providing accurate information and upholding high journalistic standards. “We expect that this program will refresh journalists and reinforce their understanding of the significant mandate they have. Journalists need to be aware that many people rely on them to provide the necessary information and education.”
The three-day workshop forms part of activities approved under the MFWA’s project titled: Promoting Fact-based and Critical Reporting in Ghana’s Electioneering Processes Through Public Interest Accountability Journalism. This project is being implemented with funding support from DW Akademie.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Ghana
