As Ghana prepares for the December 7 general elections, a group of selected journalists in the Upper East Region have received training on critical reporting to enhance their skills in covering the electioneering process. The three-day program, held in Bolgatanga, focused on quality and professionalism in news reporting, promoting fact-based and critical reporting, and other essential skills.
According to William Nlanjerbor Jalulah, Programme Officer under the Media and Good Governance at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), “The workshop aims at building the capacity of the participants on facts-based and critical reporting on elections.” He emphasized the significance of the training, especially in this election period, where journalists play a critical role in shaping public opinion.
Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, a media luminary and former Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), highlighted the importance of critical reporting in ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. “We believe it is important for journalists to refresh their knowledge every now and then, but it is particularly more so as we enter the election period.”
Some participants expressed their gratitude for the training, with Sarah Dabure saying, “I also learned about the fact that you always have to listen to the story from both sides. You don’t just pick from one side and then conclude that is it…all in all I would like to say a very big thank you to the organizers and our resource persons; it was very impactful.”
The training programme was organised by MFWA with funding support from DW Akademie. It aimed to ensure that the media plays a vital role in promoting transparency and accountability in the electoral process. Ten journalists benefited from the training, which focused on building their capacity to report fact-based and critical electoral processes.
