The Vice President of Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Linda Asante Agyei, has
expressed disappointment in Journalists who pick stories from social media and publish it on traditional media without its authenticity.
She observed that the trend was worrying, cautioning the media on the consequences of such acts, especially in an electioneering year.
Mrs Asante Agyei was speaking at an event to present certificates to members of the GJA who participated in a course on ‘Fake News, Disinformation and Journalism’, organised by GJA in collaboration with Media Response, a Non-Governmental Organisation.
As Ghana is approaching the December 7th polls, Mrs Asante Agyei urged the media to desist from copying fake news on social media and publishing it on traditional media, adding that the media should ensure the authenticity of every story before publishing it.
She encouraged participants to share what they learnt during the session with their colleagues.
Training
The Executive Director of Media Response, Mr Samuel Dodoo, noted that one of the challenges confronting the media in Ghana is the lack of continuous training to enhance the skills of practicing journalists in a complex and dynamic global environment.
According to him, this can be largely attributed to the inability of media personnel to find the time to study amidst the heavy work load which often denies them the opportunity to fully participate in training sessions.
“It is in this light that Media Response developed a robust Learning Management System (LMS) known as the GJA-Media Response Virtual Learning Platform and is currently partnering with the Ghana Journalists Association to provide critical courses that will meet the urgent training needs of journalists and media practitioners in Ghana in an era of Covid-19 and beyond,” he said.
The training course on ’Fake News, Disinformation and Journalism’, Mr Dodoo explained is the first to be organized on the platform from 20th to 26th July, 2020 with a total of thirty-two participants.
He said that the training provided a flexible and friendly learning environment which enabled participants to study at their own pace without necessarily interrupting their busy work schedule or missing out on lessons.
“The multimedia content as well as the quizzes and interactive sessions significantly contributed to improved learning outcomes,” he added.
Due to COVI9-19 and its safety protocols, he said the participants who were mostly in Accra had to attend the programme to receive their certificates whiles those in the other regions receive theirs later.
Mr Dodoo therefore urged GJA to look beyond Ghana and organised such training programmes for journalists outside the country.
ASWIM
The President of Association of Women in Media (ASWIM), Mrs Mavis Kitcher stated that when people read on social media, they depend on traditional media to check its authenticity and therefore it behoves on traditional media to publish news that is authentic.
She also urged journalists to check their facts before producing any news to the public, adding that,”Make sure that whatever you write, come 30 years after you know it is the truth.”
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
