2023 Media Capacity Enhancement Programme launched in Accra

The 2023 edition of Ghana’s Media Capacity Enhancement Programme (MCEP) has opened in Accra to equip journalists with essential skills and knowledge to enhance their work.

The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who opened the event at the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMAC) on Monday, emphasised the pivotal role the training would have on journalists in shaping the future of the media and the country’s democracy.

He stated that the training was not just a routine programme but the one with vital investments in the future of the Ghanaian media and Ghana’s democracy.

The Minister highlighted the unparalleled influence of the media in shaping the national agenda and guiding public discourse on various subjects.

He expressed concern over the lack of formal training among many journalists, noting that though articulate and well-intentioned, a majority of them had not undergone formal journalistic training.

The knowledge gap includes essential aspects such as ethics, responsibilities, contemporary practices, and nuances of the journalism profession.

The opening ceremony attracted media personalities including Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, Chairman of the Working Committee and Vice Chancellor of UniMAC, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Andrew Edwin-Arthur, President of Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and Cecil Sunkwa-Mills, President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).

Prof. Kwansah-Aidoo highlighted the significant opportunities the capacity enhancement programme would have on journalists by enhancing and improving their skill sets.

He expressed the need for media practitioners to continuously build their capacity to address and rectify pertinent issues in the profession.

Mr Dwumfour, on his part, commended the Working Committee for organising the training programme and expresed the hope that the number of journalists participating would increase in future sessions.

He urged journalists to avoid partisan stance and adhere to the ethics of the profession.
“Be mindful of the role of the media in our democratic dispensation, Mr Edwin-Arthur said, while advocating the need for increased attention and financial support from the Government to the media.

He said the media served as an indispensable ally for the country’s democracy, thus, playing a vital role in informing the public, facilitating discourse and holding duty bearers accountable.

Mr Sunkwa-Mills urged journalists and media owners to prioritise the protection and preservation of the unity and stability of the country, especially as the nation prepared for a general election next year.

He underscored the need for journalists to put the country first in reporting on national issues.

The second edition of the MCEP focuses on training 42 journalists, selected from various media houses across the country.

The programme aims to have a broad and positive influence on the overall standards and practices of journalism in the country by drawing participants from diverse media organisations and training them on six different journalism modules in a four-day session.