Media, Corporate Ghana Link Up
An initiative to link Ghana's media to the corporate world to develop the country has been launched in Accra.
The new initiative, which is being undertaken by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) with support from the Business & Financial Times and BUSAC Fund, will establish a system that would strengthen the capacity of the media beyond the agenda-setting and policy influencing role to forge partnership for common programmes aimed at promoting District Level Private Sector Development.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to kick-start the initiative dubbed, 'Media -Corporate Response Initiative (M-CRI) was signed on Tuesday between the GJA and the life patron of the initiative, Daasebre Professor Oti Boateng.
The M-CRI will also seek to deepen the active involvement of journalists and the media in development intermediation.
Ransford Tetteh, President of GJA, during the signing ceremony, said the media in Africa are key players in facilitating the development and growth of a competitive and vibrant private sector.
He said: 'The intervention is a definite response by GJA and partners to the incessant development demand on the media by policy makers, civil society organizations, development partners and corporate Ghana to establish core development machinery.'
He said the media can achieve this by improving the environment in which businesses operate, particularly at the small medium enterprise level.
Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben, in his address, stated that the media provides an indispensable channel for the promotion of effective and sustainable SME & rural economic development.
He said if the media could bring its attribute of shaping national consciousness and leadership to bear on SME & rural economic development under the M-CRI then our dear nation will be on the right path towards a real solution to our national development challenges.
Daasebre Boateng was hopeful the district level private sector promotion and rural economic development will be vigorously pursued to make a case for Africa in the wake of the global financial crisis.
He further challenged the GJA to adopt October as the media development month.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri