Accurate Election Reporting: GJA and EC Train Journalists Ahead of December 7 Polls
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Electoral Commission (EC) have collaborated to organize a nationwide training workshop for journalists. The workshop, themed “Credible Election Reporting 2024,” aims to equip journalists with the necessary skills to report on the electoral process accurately and responsibly.
The training workshop has been divided into two zones: northern and southern. Participants from the northern zone, comprising regions such as Upper East, Upper West, Northern, North East, Savannah, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, and Ashanti, gathered at the Camp Martin Hotel in Kumasi on Tuesday, November 26. A similar workshop for participants from the southern zone is scheduled for Wednesday, November 27, in Accra.
During the workshop, participants were taken through topics such as fact-checking, the EC’s expectations of the media, and safety and security of journalists. Presenters included Dr. Daniel Nkrumah, a lecturer at KNUST, and Mr. Osei Nsiah, the Ashanti Regional Director of the EC.
According to Mr. Dominic Hlordzi, the National Organising Secretary of GJA, the training aims to equip journalists with a better understanding of electoral laws to educate their audience effectively. He emphasized the need for journalists to adhere to the GJA code of ethics and avoid fake news.
The workshop is part of efforts to ensure peaceful and credible elections in Ghana. Similar initiatives have been undertaken by other organizations, such as the Private Newspapers and Online Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG).
