Madam Melody M. Darkey, a Consultant for the Institute of Digital Marketing and Communication Ghana (IDMC Ghana), has urged journalists to be open-minded when reporting on gender issues, to shape public opinion and misconceptions about gender-related discussions.
She said journalists needed to understand the broader concepts of gender-sensitive situations to help them produce reports that would contribute to a more balanced representation in society.
She was speaking on Gender Reporting, at the opening of a four-day skills development training for editors, reporters and stringers of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), at Sogakope in the Volta Region.
The training, which was facilitated by the Institute of Digital Marketing and Communication Ghana (IDMC Ghana), formed part of the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP).
The PSDPEP is being sponsored by the African Development Bank to equip participants with the skills and knowledge in advocacy on health, gender, digital storytelling, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and climate change.
Madam Darkey said gender equality formed an integral part of freedom of expression, and that journalists must serve as “watch dogs” to counter the mis and disinformation, as well as negative stereotypes surrounding issues of gender parity.
She said: “We as journalists must properly understand some of the core issues of gender equality and highlight the systemic barriers that give room for inequality in society.”
Dr Martin Thompson Ntem, a Digital Media Specialist, who presented on “MSMEs Promotion and Youth Entrepreneurship,” encouraged journalists to highlight the critical roles the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) played in the development of the country’s economy.
He said: “Positive media representation can shift public perception towards supporting small businesses and valuing entrepreneurship”.
He stated that it was imperative for journalists to use their platforms to foster an environment that encouraged innovation and supported entrepreneurial initiatives to bridge the unemployment gaps in the country.
Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, the GNA Director of Editorial, said the Agency’s management recognised the critical roles its journalists played in national development, hence the essence of training and retooling them with the necessary skills to effectively deliver on their mandates.
She asked participants to use the knowledge they had gained from the training to effectively produce compelling stories in the interest of the public.
GNA
