The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has organised an Environmental Reporting and Personal Safety Workshop to mark this year’s World Environment Day.
The event brought together journalists and young media practitioners to strengthen capacity for reporting on environmental issues.
The workshop was themed “Inspired By Nature For Climate, For Our Future.” It was funded by Reporters Without Borders Germany (RSF) and designed to equip participants with practical skills for covering complex environmental stories while prioritizing their safety on assignment.
Addressing participants, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA, Mr. Kofi Adu Domfeh, outlined the objectives of the workshop and underscored the importance of environmental protection as a foundation for livelihoods and national development.
He noted that environmental reporting plays a critical role in raising public awareness and influencing policies that promote sustainable development.
He therefore encouraged journalists to deepen their understanding of climate change, pollution, natural resource management, and other ecological issues to improve the quality and impact of their reportage.
Mr. Domfeh also stressed the need for journalists to prioritise personal safety when covering high-risk assignments.
He cited illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and other environmental crimes as areas where reporters often face threats, intimidation, or hazardous conditions. “Your safety must come first. Ethical and factual reporting can be done without endangering your life,” he told participants.
Deputy Director of the Ashanti Regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Richard Boadi Soadwa, urged journalists to consider specialising in specific environmental reporting areas.
He identified public health, water pollution, air pollution, climate change, and natural resource management as critical beats requiring in-depth coverage.
Mr. Soadwa emphasised that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility that requires collaboration between government agencies, civil society, the media, and communities. He called on all stakeholders to contribute towards safeguarding Ghana’s natural resources for present and future generations.
He added that accurate, data-driven journalism can help bridge the gap between environmental policy and public understanding, thereby driving behavioral change and accountability.
With climate change and environmental degradation becoming central to Ghana’s development agenda, media capacity building has gained renewed attention.
The GJA Ashanti workshop forms part of broader efforts to ensure that journalists are not only knowledgeable about environmental science and policy, but also equipped to report safely from the field.
