William Nyarko, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), has cautioned journalists against using entrapment as a tool in their fight against corruption. According to him, while undercover journalism remains a powerful investigative tool, it must be conducted with diligence and professionalism rather than with the intent to trap individuals into committing offences.
During a facilitation at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s first phase of a three-part training programme designed to strengthen the capacity of journalists, Mr Nyarko stressed that investigative reporting should focus on uncovering facts and evidence that serve the public interest, not on creating scenarios that could compromise the credibility of the journalist.
“That is not a good practice. It’s like saying you heard that chicken likes corn so you go and give the chicken corn, and when it consumes it, then you say ohhhh, it is true,” he said.
The training, held from 23rd to 25th September 2025 at the Sunlodge Hotel in Accra, brought together 30 journalists from the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Northern Regions. The training focused on equipping participants with the knowledge and skills needed to expose corruption, promote accountability, and advance public interest journalism.
Led by experts including Michael Boadi of Transparency Ghana and William Nyarko, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), the programme explored key issues such as understanding corruption and anti-corruption, conflict of interest, Ghana’s legal and institutional anti-corruption framework, and the gendered impact of corruption.
In her welcome address, Rosemond Ebi-Adwo Aryeetey, Senior Programme Manager for the MFWA’s Media for Democracy and Good Governance, stressed the organisation’s long-term mission to nurture a new generation of fearless and ethical investigative journalists dedicated to the public interest. “We brought journalists together from selected regions in Ghana to upscale them and enhance their capacity when it comes to reporting on corruption issues, teaching them the skills and knowledge to expose corruption and promote transparency and accountability from duty-bearers,” she said.
Discussions highlighted the fact that women are disproportionately affected by corrupt practices, particularly through sextortion. Beyond theory, participants were introduced to practical investigative methods, including plain cover reporting, undercover approaches, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for information gathering. Trainers also introduced a structured formula for investigative work, emphasizing how effective input and process translate into impactful outputs.
The workshop further engaged participants in brainstorming sessions on story ideas, hypothesis building, and assessing prima facie evidence, laying a strong foundation for investigative story development. At the end of the three-day exercise, participants expressed satisfaction with the training, describing it as impactful and committing to apply the skills gained in their work.
The remaining two phases of the training will be rolled out in the coming months, focusing on the use of Ghana’s Right to Information (RTI) law and fact-checking as essential tools in investigative journalism.
This initiative, led by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and funded by the German Development Cooperation, is part of the Participation, Accountability, Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) program. This program is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the European Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
