ICT, Vital Tool For Journalists
By Yaw Owusu
Friday, 28 April 2006
INFORMATION and Communications Technology (ICT) expertise is a must for everybody in journalism, says Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, outgoing President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
She said that once ICT had become a driving force in every country’s development, journalists need to be equipped with the requisite knowledge to be able to explain ICT issues more appropriately to the public.
Ms Yeboah-Afari was speaking at the opening of a three-day ICT workshop for about 40 journalists in Accra on Wednesday.
It was organized by International Institute of ICT Journalism Penplusbytes and sponsored by the French Embassywith the aim of building the capacity of journalists in the use of new media technology to improve the quality of journalism and also to enable them to understand and report on ICT policy issues.
Ms Yeboah-Afari said in most cases, media houses had made the training of journalists on ICT issues their priority but lack of funds hindered the effort.
She said the GJA will therefore welcome any effort to use journalists to help in the development of ICT, noting that a well-equipped modern newsroom makes it easier for the practice of the profession to grow.
The French Ambassador Pierre Jacquemot, said the media in Ghana had a crucial role to play in the development of ICT which had become a powerful means for change and “the media cannot help in the promotion without funds and support.”
He promised that the French government would collaborate with other organizations to develop ICT in Ghana.
Mr D.A. Kwapong, Chief Director of the Ministry of Information, who spoke on behalf of the Minister, said: “ICT is a priority area of government’s policy and any effort to develop it will be appreciated.”
He said currently, government could not continue to rely solely on cocoa and gold for development and was exploring the potential that ICT had.
Mr Kwame Ahiabenu, President of Penplusbytes said the workshop would help journalists to use ICT to improve the level of journalism for accelerated growth and development.
SOURCE
http://www.newtimesonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2588&Itemid=181
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Thirty Ghanaian journalists attend ICT training programme in Accra
PRESS RELEASE
Thirty Ghanaian journalists attend
ICT training programme in Accra
A three-day training workshop to improve the capacity of Ghanaian journalists on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) is currently underway in Accra.
The International Institute of ICT Journalism’s (PenPlusBytes’) training programme is designed to introduce the journalists to new ICT tools and make maximum use of the tools that local media practitioners are already familiar with.
Launching the workshop themed ‘Training Ghanaian Journalists for the Information Society’, the French Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Pierre Jacquemot, said ICTs have become a powerful means of development and social change for the economic and social development of the world.
It is thus critical, Mr. Jacquemot added, for local journalists to acquire knowledge of trends and developments in ICTs to improve the quality of their work and to help accelerate Ghana’s development as well as its integration into the global Information Society.
The course is being attended by 30 print and electronic journalists from all over Ghana.
The course outline for the programme which started on Wednesday, April 26 includes topics such as ‘Ghana’s ICT for Accelerated Development Policy’, ‘Knowledge Management for the Media’, ‘Afrocentric Content on the Internet’ and ‘ICT Journalism’.
Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, out-going President of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) said the training programme was timely because many of the country’s media houses have prioritized ICT development and staff training but are hampered by a lack of the necessary resources including funds.
Ms Yeboah-Afari also noted that the national desire for accelerated development and its achievement is intricately linked to how well journalists understand and use these technologies in their work. “If we are to quicken the pace of our country’s development then we need to build the capacity of Ghanaian journalists in this very important sector (ICT)”.
Mr. D.A. Kwapong, Acting Director, Ministry of Information, speaking on behalf of the Minister said, “the globalized world demands that the journalist is a leader in Information Society issues. It is in this light that I consider this course as invaluable. It also confirms the complementarity of private sector initiatives to the achievements of one of the three policy areas of government – Human Resource Development.”
Indeed, although Ghana is one of the most wired countries in Africa, there is a noticeable low use of new media technologies and poor reporting of ICTs in general. Presently not all Ghanaian media houses are connected to the internet for example. Even those connected are under-utilizing the ICTs to enhance their work.
Mr. Kwami Ahiabenu II, the president of PenPlusBytes, expressed the hope that participants will acquire new essential tools and skills to improve the quality, content and the relevance of their work to the public.
The Accra workshop is being sponsored by the French Embassy in Ghana and Ghana Information Network for knowledge Sharing. The training programme for journalists is the sixth of such training courses designed and delivered by PenPlusBytes across sub-Saharan Africa over the last three years.
PenPlusBytes is currently pioneering the first ever online course on ‘Introduction to ICT Journalism’ in Africa. 43 journalists are from nine countries spread across three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) are attending the eight week course which started on March 20, 2006.
In 2005 PenPluBytes organized two regional training programmes for journalists in West Africa and East Africa. The West Africa regional programme in January 2005 attracted sixteen (16) participants from seven countries including Ghana. The rest were Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia and Togo.
The East African training programme held in Nairobi, Kenya, from June 25-26 attracted seventeen (17) participants from the region.
ends
Thirty Ghanaian journalists attend
ICT training programme in Accra
A three-day training workshop to improve the capacity of Ghanaian journalists on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) is currently underway in Accra.
The International Institute of ICT Journalism’s (PenPlusBytes’) training programme is designed to introduce the journalists to new ICT tools and make maximum use of the tools that local media practitioners are already familiar with.
Launching the workshop themed ‘Training Ghanaian Journalists for the Information Society’, the French Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Pierre Jacquemot, said ICTs have become a powerful means of development and social change for the economic and social development of the world.
It is thus critical, Mr. Jacquemot added, for local journalists to acquire knowledge of trends and developments in ICTs to improve the quality of their work and to help accelerate Ghana’s development as well as its integration into the global Information Society.
The course is being attended by 30 print and electronic journalists from all over Ghana.
The course outline for the programme which started on Wednesday, April 26 includes topics such as ‘Ghana’s ICT for Accelerated Development Policy’, ‘Knowledge Management for the Media’, ‘Afrocentric Content on the Internet’ and ‘ICT Journalism’.
Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, out-going President of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) said the training programme was timely because many of the country’s media houses have prioritized ICT development and staff training but are hampered by a lack of the necessary resources including funds.
Ms Yeboah-Afari also noted that the national desire for accelerated development and its achievement is intricately linked to how well journalists understand and use these technologies in their work. “If we are to quicken the pace of our country’s development then we need to build the capacity of Ghanaian journalists in this very important sector (ICT)”.
Mr. D.A. Kwapong, Acting Director, Ministry of Information, speaking on behalf of the Minister said, “the globalized world demands that the journalist is a leader in Information Society issues. It is in this light that I consider this course as invaluable. It also confirms the complementarity of private sector initiatives to the achievements of one of the three policy areas of government – Human Resource Development.”
Indeed, although Ghana is one of the most wired countries in Africa, there is a noticeable low use of new media technologies and poor reporting of ICTs in general. Presently not all Ghanaian media houses are connected to the internet for example. Even those connected are under-utilizing the ICTs to enhance their work.
Mr. Kwami Ahiabenu II, the president of PenPlusBytes, expressed the hope that participants will acquire new essential tools and skills to improve the quality, content and the relevance of their work to the public.
The Accra workshop is being sponsored by the French Embassy in Ghana and Ghana Information Network for knowledge Sharing. The training programme for journalists is the sixth of such training courses designed and delivered by PenPlusBytes across sub-Saharan Africa over the last three years.
PenPlusBytes is currently pioneering the first ever online course on ‘Introduction to ICT Journalism’ in Africa. 43 journalists are from nine countries spread across three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) are attending the eight week course which started on March 20, 2006.
In 2005 PenPluBytes organized two regional training programmes for journalists in West Africa and East Africa. The West Africa regional programme in January 2005 attracted sixteen (16) participants from seven countries including Ghana. The rest were Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia and Togo.
The East African training programme held in Nairobi, Kenya, from June 25-26 attracted seventeen (17) participants from the region.
ends
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