A three-day training workshop to build the capacity of regional managers and editors of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in energy reporting is under in Accra.
The programme is being organised by the Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) in collaboration with the GNA.
In June this year the GNA and NPG signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote and stimulate public discourse on Ghana’s nuclear power programme.
Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, General Manager, GNA, said the GNA was the bedrock of Ghana’s journalism since it was established on the eve of Ghana’s independence, 5th March 1957.
“The partnership with NPG comes at an exciting time for the GNA as we are in the process of revamping our operations to reposition the GNA brand as a major news organization, not only for our domestic market but the global news market as well,” he said.
“We are therefore very grateful to NPG for agreeing to sponsor at least two major training sessions for our news team every year, as part of our agreement, this being the first.”
He said the training sessions would equip GNA journalists and editors with the requisite knowledge on the Nuclear Power Programme and Project Development, which was expected to drive Ghana’s industrialization agenda through the provision of stable, reliable, and affordable power.
He noted that the energy training programme would sharpen the editorial skills of the GNA’s news team towards producing well-thought out, researched, and well packaged impactful stories to educate the public on the relevant issues to facilitate a public buy-in for the successful development of the programme.
Mr Owusu said the creation of the Energy Desk was in line with GNA’s specialization initiative under its Business and Economic News reporting project, which would also provide a comprehensive coverage of the Capital and Financial markets, commodities, government’s industrialization drive, investment opportunities in the energy and tourism sectors and many more.
- Ghana’s energy generation must be non-weather dependent-Prof. B.J.B. Nyarko
- Ghana’s Pharma sector needs huge investment- Botwe
He urged the Agency’s news team of journalists and editors to take the training programmes and initiatives very seriously, adding that the “GNA must take the commanding heights of the media industry”.
“We must tell the big stories, about Ghana’s development efforts, its challenges, and successes to the rest of the world, as envisioned by our first president. “Mr Owusu said.
“We want to see our seasoned journalists writing analytical pieces and feature articles that stimulate deep thoughts, to shape the narrative and set the tone for national discourse on many subjects”.
Dr Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director, NPG, said the implementation of Ghana’s nuclear power programme would propel socio-economic development.
He, therefore, urged the media to stimulate an objective and constructive discourse on the programme that would promote a public buy in.
Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, a former Chairman, National Media Commission, lauded the NPG for choosing to partner GNA to bring the public along in the nuclear power discourse.
He commended GNA for maintaining a “high bar of professionalism” and urged it to remain the reference point of professional journalism.
Professor Olivia Kwapong, GNA Board Chair, urged the participants to be open-minded in receiving the knowledge and continue to employ the old age principles of integrity and accountability in their work.
