As part of efforts to improve journalistic standards in Ghana, the Ministry of Information has designed a media training programme to beef up the professional competence of media personnel in the country.
The programme dubbed: “The Media Capacity and Enhancement Programme” (MCEP), is expected to build the capacity of 250 journalists in 2022.
The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, disclosed this at the end-of-year Staff Durbar and Carols ceremony to mark the Christmas Celebrations for officers of the Ministry and the Information Services Department (ISD).
He said the training programme would go a long way to help journalists in the country to continue to play their watchdog role, adding that this would also improve Ghana’s development discourse.
On the performance of the Ministry in the year 2021, he said the Ministry successfully disseminated government development information to the people and collected feedback despite the menace of the COVID-19.
He said some of the strategies the Ministry adopted to reach the people were social media, Weekly Press Briefing and the “Ask the Info Ministry” platform.
He also hinted that the Ministry invested in research to generate data to inform its policy evaluation and coordinated also collaborated with the National Media Commission to improve the safety of journalists in the country, adding that journalists in Ghana are operating under a free and robust environment.
On the ISD, He said a transformation programme was currently ongoing at the head office and all 16 Regional and 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District would witness a dramatic change from next year.
He commended the staff of the Ministry and the Department for their immense support which led to the successful implementation of the Ministry’s programmes and entreated staff to exhibit excellence, responsibility and value for every activity they engaged in.
The occasion was also used to award some staff who excelled in their work in 2020.
Ganyo Gerard, ISD
