By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Accra, Aug. 13, GNA – The Whistleblowers, Activists and Journalists Safety International Center (WAJSIC) has held a four-day investigative journalism training programme for its resident journalists and whistleblowers.
The training, which forms part of three support programmes held at WAJSIC’s headquarters in Accra, was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) under its Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme.
It was funded by the German Cooperation, in partnership with the European Union and the Swiss Confederation, in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
WAJSIC, a Ghanaian-based non-profit organisation with a continental reach, is known for providing shelter, financial stipends, legal representation, medical assistance, and psychological support to individuals facing persecution for exposing corruption, defending human rights, or uncovering injustices.
Many of the participants in the training are living in exile or under active threat due to their investigative work.
The training, held on the theme: “Safe Investigative Journalism for Journalists Under Threat”, reflected its dual purpose of sharpening reporting skills while ensuring the personal safety of participants.
Mr. Manasseh Azure Awuni, one of Ghana’s most respected investigative journalists, facilitated and took the journalists through story selection and framing, evidence verification, legal risk management, and undercover reporting ethics.
He also focused on security with modules on digital, physical, and operational safety designed to help participants work without exposing themselves or their sources to unnecessary danger.
Mr. Abdoulaye Diallo and Mr. Adjapong Benjamin, WAJSIC’s Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer, respectively, urged participants to see themselves not just as reporters but as defenders of democratic accountability.
“Investigative journalism is more than telling a story; it is about protecting the public’s right to know, even when that mission puts you at risk,” Mr Diallo said.
Mr. Kweku Lartey Obeng, Head of Component for Strengthening Anti-Corruption Actors under the PAIReD program of the GIZ, emphasised the importance of building local capacity for independent journalism.
He stated that “Strong democracies depend on fearless truth-telling,” adding that “Through partnerships like this, we ensure that those who speak truth to power have the tools and protection they need.”
Mr. Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Founder and Chairman of WAJSIC, reminded the trainees, while offering personal reflections from his decades-long career in undercover journalism, that “courage is contagious.”
He reminded them that the integrity of their work matters as much as the stories they produce.
A Ghanaian journalist under protection and hosted by WAJSIC, Mr. Anas said: “It’s the first time in a long time I’ve felt both safe and empowered. I now have tools I didn’t even know I needed.”
By combining technical skill-building with personal security training, WAJSIC’s latest programme underscores its commitment to safeguarding the people behind the stories and, by extension, the public’s access to truth.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Sawer/Benjamin Mensah