The Ministry of Information has commended the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for his instrumental role in ensuring the success of the maiden Media Capacity Enhancement Programme.
Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister, said the King’s decision to graciously accept an invitation to open the Programme, and the insightful speech delivered, set the tone for an impactful four-day event.
“We, on behalf of our colleagues, would like to say a big thank you,” the Minister said, when he addressed a get-together at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi at the end of the training.
The Palace organised the soiree for the participants, selected from the various media organisations across the country.
The training, organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Information, was on the theme: “Equipping the Media to Play an Effective Role in our Nation Building.”
It discussed topics encompassing ‘Ethics and the Journalism Mission’, ‘Media as a Tool for Socio-Economic Development and Nation Building’, and ‘Media Law/Law and the Journalism Practice’.
The participants were also taught ‘Digital Media and Online Journalism’, ‘Impact Journalism’, as well as ‘Investigative Journalism,’ which looked at how a journalist can expose immoral, illegal and unethical deeds of organisations and individuals.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah said government would continue to create the needed platform to build the knowledge base of Ghanaian journalists as they sought to play varied critical roles to advance the nation’s development aspirations.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, during the opening ceremony, said improving the capacity of the media would contribute to professional enhancement and diminish the sources of concern about some of their works.
“The media will be doing a great service to the nation, and indeed to humanity, if they can create an environment which encourages consensus-building to help lower the causes of tension within the body politic,” he said.
The National Media Commission, Ghana Journalists Association, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana, and Institute of Public Relations-Ghana were present to give solidarity messages.