Journalists attend workshop on Oil and Gas reporting in Uganda

Accra, May 15, GNA – Seven Journalists are participating in a 10-day workshop on oil and gas reporting to strengthen their knowledge and skills in the extractive sector from May 14-25 in Kampala, Uganda.

It is to create a knowledgeable and active media which is “critical to having an informed and engaged public, civil society and Parliament that can hold government accountable”.

The workshop also seeks to promote good governance and an effective oversight of the oil, gas and mining (extractive) resources and revenues.

A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra by the International Institute for ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) said the workshop was a follow up of a similar one held earlier this year in Ghana under the Penplusbytes and Revenue Watch International (RWI) with the theme, "Strengthening Media Oversight of the Extractive Sectors in Ghana and Uganda Project".

Mr Kwami Ahiabenu, Team Leader of Penplusbytes, said "The workshop would focus on taking the journalists through the tools of the trade, with sessions on generating and executing story ideas, evidence-based reporting, financial reporting, investigation and analysis of issues in the industry”.

Mr Ahiabenu said the workshop would be a combination of knowledge and skills building session and the journalists would be exposed to the intricacies of oil and gas contracts, international legislations, environmental and community interests in the extractive industry.

He said “Experts would take the journalists through transparency and accountability and share experiences in communities where the industries are located”.

The seven Ghanaian journalists who formed the third batch of journalists to participate in the project were drawn from the print, radio and electronic media. They were from the Ghana News Agency, Daily Graphic, Joy FM and Ghanaian Times.

Their selection for the workshop was based on their experience in reporting on the extractive sector and having demonstrated interest and knowledge in the extractive sector. They would join a similar group of journalists from Uganda.

The project, which started in 2011 aims at promoting good governance and an effective oversight of the oil, gas and mining (extractive) resources and revenues.

It involves international field trips, writing bursaries, editors' liaison, workshops and individual writing projects on the extractive sector.

Penplusbytes is a registered non- profitable organiation, since July 18, 2001 with the vision of driving excellence in ICT journalism while RWI promotes the transparent and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources for the public good.

GNA