The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has emphasized the importance of journalists—particularly reporters, morning show hosts, and radio presenters—being well-versed in financial and economic issues to enhance accurate reporting.
According to the Central Bank, a well-informed media landscape plays a vital role in building a well-informed society.
The Director of Communications at BoG, Bernard Otabil, made this call during the opening of a three-day media capacity-building workshop in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.
The workshop, organised by the BoG for journalists in the Eastern Region, aimed to equip 25 selected participants from various media houses with a deeper understanding of economic and financial reporting.
Participants were taken through critical topics including: accurate reporting, monetary policy practice in Ghana, inflation dynamics, recent developments in the foreign exchange market, responsible borrowing, understanding the central bank’s balance sheet, macroeconomic analysis, and the significance of microeconomic indicators.
Mr. Otabil stated that misinformation and disinformation in the media space often stem from the limited number of journalists who are well-versed in financial and economic matters.
To address this challenge, the Bank of Ghana has embarked on a series of regional media engagements aimed at strengthening its relationship with journalists across the country and improving public access to reliable information.
So far, the Central Bank has trained journalists from the Volta, Western, and Ashanti Regions, reaching a total of 75 participants.
Mr. Otabil encouraged reporters to develop a stronger interest in financial and economic matters. He also highlighted international best practices, noting that in countries such as the United Kingdom, media houses often prefer subject-matter specialists in financial journalism rather than generalist reporters.
He added that the Central Bank has become more transparent in its operations than ever before.
“Governor Asiama, at the start of every MPC meeting, engages the media in a kick-off session, explaining his expectations in the context of global and domestic economic developments,” Otabil said.
He further noted: “Another significant innovation by Governor Asiama is the publication of the submissions of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members. Since the Bank adopted the inflation-targeting monetary policy framework in 2007, this is the first time such submissions are being published, bringing Ghana at par with other central banks using similar frameworks.”
For his part, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Maxwell Kudekor, noted that the GJA has over the years collaborated with several institutions to train journalists in specialized fields to foster a well-informed society.
He emphasized that capacity building empowers journalists to improve their skills, acquire new knowledge, and remain competitive in their careers.
Mr. Kudekor commended the Bank of Ghana for organising the seminar, describing it as a valuable effort to enhance the knowledge of journalists in economic and financial reporting to promote accuracy in such coverage.
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