The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has organized a two-day training workshop in Kumasi for over 20 journalists from various media organizations in the region.
The workshop focused on investigative journalism and anti-corruption reporting, with the aim of equipping and motivating journalists to combat corruption in the country.
During the workshop, journalists were trained in various areas, including how to plan an investigative project, the use of modern technologies to undertake investigations, and the importance of confidence, courage, and integrity in their work.
Following the training, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, a lead investigative journalist at the Media Foundation for West Africa, highlighted the challenges faced by the media in accessing information.
She noted that despite the Right to Information law, media organizations still struggle to obtain information from institutions, as they often face exorbitant fees and charges.
Adobea-Owusu expressed concern that institutions use the fees and charges act to obstruct journalists’ access to information, citing instances where fees ranging from 1000 cedis to as high as 9,000 or more are imposed for accessing information.
She called on the Right to Information commission to review the act in order to reduce the financial burden on journalists seeking information.
Adobea-Owusu emphasized that the high fees imposed by institutions are an attempt to frustrate and deny journalists access to vital information.
Some of the participants praised the organization for initiating the training workshop, stating that it will greatly benefit them in their investigative projects.
