Since 2009, Penplusbytes and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) have trained over fifty (50) Ghanaian journalists on knowledge and skills needed to effectively report about the extractive sector in Ghana under the “Strengthening Media Oversight of the Extractive Sector” project. The result of this training has been an increase of stories from the oil and gas sector in the Ghanaian media over time.
In order to keep the trained journalists actively engaged in reporting on the sector, Penplusbytes and NRGI are organizing a 3-day Alumni Refresher workshop at the Capital View Hotel in Koforidua from 25th to 27th of November, 2016. This workshop is ultimately aimed at building on the training offered to alumni members to enable them keep up with events and issues in the industry. It is also intended to improve the capacity of journalists in writing compelling and investigative stories from the sector.
Keynote speakers at the event will include Dr. Doris Dartey of the National Media Commission and Albert Kan Dapaah of FAT Africa who would sharing on some key issues in the extractive sector that newsrooms should look out for especially ahead of the December polls and on understanding transparency and accountability issues in the sector respectively.
These discussions will then be followed by a Data Dive workshop and a mentoring round table discussion, where alumni and mentors will critically look at how to improve the quality of stories on oil and gas especially in context of Ghana’s Elections 2016.
In all, 15 journalists from various news media who have been trained over the years under the project will be in attendance.
It is expected that at the end of the workshop, the skills and knowledge of participants in the extractive sector would have improved so as to effectively perform their oversight role over the sector.
About
Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization driving change through innovations in three key areas, namely using new digital technologies to enable good governance and accountability; new media and innovations; and driving oversight for effective utilisation of mining, oil and gas revenue and resources.
The Natural Resource Governance Institute is a non-profit policy institute and grant-making organization that promotes effective, transparent and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources for the public good.
