By Edward Williams
Sogakope (V/R), Sept. 18, GNA – The Government of Ghana with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB), is supporting a programme to build the capacity of journalists of the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
The post-COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP) is a strategic one, aimed at empowering journalists of the Agency (GNA) with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively communicate vital information in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
The four-day training programme for close to 50 participants including Senior Editors, Editors, Chief Reporters and Stringers, also recognises the crucial role of journalists in disseminating accurate and impactful messages related to public health, economic recovery, and responsible reporting on infectious diseases.
Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, Director of Editorial, Ghana News Agency, said the Agency was one of the five beneficiary institutions of a $30 million initiative executed by the Social Investment Fund over a five-year period.
She said the Agency was selected due to its commitment to national development and professionalism.
Mrs Savage said the capacities of the journalists were being built to help the objectives of the project to be realised.
She said GNA’s mandate was to process credible information and deliver it to the people to help them understand their contributions to building a prosperous society for the benefit of all.
She said this was done through information and education to the citizenry to help them to make sound decisions that would inure to their benefits.
Mrs Savage urged participants to cooperate and make use of the opportunity to be impactful since as journalists, they had their charge to the people they served.
The skills development training would equip the participants to effectively advocate Micro, Small, Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), public
health and climate-change-related issues to facilitate Ghana’s economic recovery.
Mr Charles Yao Mawusi, a Communications Consultant at the Institute for Digital Marketing and Communication (IDMC) Ghana, said there was a need for journalists to brand themselves, which hinged on the experiences of people who encountered them.
He touched on Advocacy reporting with the call on participants to promote social change, raise awareness and influence public opinion because they were the importance of advocacy reporting.
Dr Nii Nortey Hanson-Nortey, a Health Consultant at IDMC Ghana, said building rapport and preparation were key skills and strategies for participants in effective health reporting interviews.
He noted that reporting on sensitive health issues required a high degree of responsibility, empathy, and ethical considerations.
Dr Martin Thompson Ntem, Digital Media Specialist, IDMC Ghana, said journalists had a role to play in addressing climate change.
He said journalists played the role of informing and educating the public on causes, impacts, and solutions to climate change, holding policymakers and corporations accountable for environmental practices.
Dr Ntem said addressing climate change would also require journalists to highlight stories of resilience, innovation, mitigation, and adaptation in the face of climate change.
The Institute for Digital Marketing and Communication (IDMC) Ghana, a leading Institute in digital marketing and communication is running the training, which is the second of four phases.
GNA