Ghana: GJA, IFJ hold workshop on climate change reporting

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) under the Union to Union (UTU) Project 2019 held a two –day workshop on “Climate Change Reporting” from 11 – 12 September, in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

The workshop, which brought together 20 participants from the print media, radio, television and online was aimed at enhancing their capacities to report more effectively on climate change.

The lead trainer at the workshop, Martin Segtub, a researcher on climate change communication, emphasized that one does not necessarily need to be a science student to be able to report effectively on climate change. He however noted that there is need for every journalist who reports on climate change to keep him or herself abreast with the scientific terminologies that are frequently utilize in the climate change discuss. “Climate change reporting”, he said, differs a bit from our daily political or economic reporting, because it entails a lot of research and we must go far beyond the normal news story to be able to come up with a good climate change report.

The two –day workshop dilated on critical issues concerning the effects of climate change on the agricultural sector in Ghana, as well as issues of health and migration.  It  also deliberated on climate change policies in Ghana, Institutions and Actors and how these policies are implemented;  climate change as a developmental issue; Climate change challenges- Gender concerns and vulnerable groups; navigating the barriers for climate change as well as practical work sessions.

The participants at the workshop called for greater collaboration between government agencies involved in climate change issues and the media most especially in giving journalists access to policy documents and agreements that are signed with UN agencies and other international partners concerning Government’s strategies to combat climate change.

For more Information, please contact the IFJ - Africa Office

1st Floor, Maison de la Presse, 5 Rue X Corniche, Medina,

BP 64257, Dakar, Senegal

Tel: +221- 33 867 95 86/87; Fax: +221- 33 827 02