The training of some 250 journalists under Government’s much touted Media Capacity Enhancement Programme (MCEP) has opened in Kumasi.
The programme, themed “Equipping the Media to Play an Effective Role in our Nation Building” is a four-day intensive capacity enhancement initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Information.
With a first cohort of 60 practicing journalists drawn from across the country to be trained on emerging issues in journalism.
The MCEP seeks to enhance the skills of participants, provide a platform to support media-introspection on subject related to media management, corporate governance, and media business models and encourage ethical journalism.
Speaking at the opening of the programme at the Manhyia Palace today, the Minister for Information, Honourable Kojo Oppong Nkrumah underscored the need to bring together relevant stakeholders in the industry to regularly train practicing journalists, so their capacity is enhanced in the areas of ethics, professionalism, media law, impact journalism, use of digital tools and investigative journalism.
He said to ensure the media kept its high standards, the Ministry was happy to support stakeholders to execute the programme.
“We, at the Ministry of Information, believe that addressing the capacity challenges faced by the media in this comprehensive, coordinated and regular manner will yield more dividend than the occasional support given by stakeholders as individuals,” the Minister emphasized.
Hon. Oppong Nkrumah advised participants to take lessons seriously in order to build their knowledge base and sharpen their skills to become relevant within the media space.
The guest speaker, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II appealed to journalists and media owners to protect and preserve the unity and stability of the country, reminding journalists to disabuse their minds of misconception and always put the country first in their daily reportage.
He expected that the rolling out of the programme would deepen the understanding of participants in the field of journalism and enhance the quality of media output in the country.
For his part, the Chairman of the MCEP and Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, observed that the media have a core duty to cause transformative change through facilitating access to appropriate and credible information.
He hoped that the successful implementation of the programme would transform the media landscape in the country for the better.
The Chairman of the National Media Commission, Mr. Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, in his remarks expressed gratitude to the Ministry and its partners for the training programme, which he said would enhance the capacity of media practitioners and make them better professionals.
He added that it was the wish of the NMC that all media practitioners would perform their work creditably, such that the NMC would not be called upon to rule on complaints bordering on the work of the media.
Present at the ceremony were the US Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan, of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Roland Affail Monney, Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei- Mensah and other well-known dignitaries and representatives from media umbrella bodies such as the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG).
Source: MOI (PR unit)View Post
