Workshop on Media Ethics ends in Accra

A one week workshop on the topic Freedom and Responsibility in the Media, organized by the International Institute for Journalism of InWent for journalists in West African countries, ended last Thursday in Accra.

The workshop attracted 15 participants from Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo, Benin and Liberia. 

The lecturer for the workshop was Barbara Thomas, a Professor at the Media Department of the University of Bochum, and was facilitated by Sarah Bindokat.

Participants were taken through topics such as the value of codes, norms and standard in journalism, journalistic ethics and individual accountability, conflict reporting, covering elections, accidents, calamities and catastrophes, court reporting and self-regulation and media accountability systems.

On hand to give a country perspective on election covering in Ghana was the President of the Ghana Journalist Association and Editor of the Daily Graphic, Ransford Tetteh.

Participants were full of joy for the opportunity to attend the workshop.

According to Romaric Badoussi of the Le Point au Quotien in Benin, a participant, said the workshop was "a very exciting period. My expectation was fulfilled.

The subjects were really interesting. I've learnt much from Barbara and from all the participants.

I think Sarah also succeeded in the general organization. On the other side, that was for me the first time to test deeply my ability of listening, and speaking English.'

The International Institute for Journalism of InWent was founded in 1962 in order to give young, up-and-coming journalists from developing and transitional countries the opportunity to enhance their knowledge in the media business.

The IIJ offers advanced training and dialogue for print and news agency journalists as well as for online journalists.

The aim of the IIJ programme is to strengthen freedom of expression and press freedom in the partner countries of the German development cooperation and thus improve the conditions for democratization and economic and social development.

 In this capacity, the IIJ represents a key pillar in the media development work of the Federal Government of Germany and particularly of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

 The IIJ currently offers up to 40 training courses and dialogue programmes per year which take place both in Germany and in the partner countries and reach approximately 500 media workers.

InWent - Capacity Building International, Germany, is a non-profit organisation with worldwide operations dedicated to human resource development, advanced training, and dialogue.

InWent is commissioned by the German Federal Government, the German business sector, and the German Länder.