The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has stated that 140 journalists are set to benefit from a Media Capacity and Capacity Enhancement Programme, which commenced on Monday.
The programme, beginning on December 18, 2023, is geared towards equipping journalists with the essential skills and knowledge needed to survive within the media space in the 21st century.
The opening ceremony was held at the University of Media, Arts, and Communications (UniMAC).
While opening the training programme, Oppong Nkrumah said “By the time we are done this week, a hundred and forty (140) journalists would have benefited so far from this programme. That represents 140 media houses that can potentially be influenced by the lessons from here. The Ministry of Information’s effort to support the Ghanaian media is borne out of our mandate, which, amongst other things, requires us to develop policies and programmes to support the public communications ecosystem.”
“The programme has been running since 2020 and organized by a technical working group that comprises the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), the Ghana Independent Broadcasting Association (GIBA), the Private Newspapers Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), Online Publishers, the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UNIMAC).”
He stated that the media support programme includes a coordinated mechanism for the safety of journalists.
“The four-day intensive training programme has been designed to enhance the skills of Ghanaian journalists and to further equip them to deliver on the fast-changing and demanding task of journalism in a growing African democracy like ours. It’s a vital investment in the future of our media industry and our democracy as a whole.”
“It is the strength of our collective efforts that will take us to the next level. The cornerstone of our democracy and the role of the media in disseminating accurate, timely, and unbiased information to the public is essential to foster nation-building during such critical times; we must empower our journalists.”
