Ghana Media Should Focus On Issues Concerning Children

A challenge has been thrown to journalists and Ghana media in general, to be more concerned about critical issues confronting children.

It appears that there has been low coverage of issues on children's wellbeing by the media, especially radio stations, who give more airspace to political discussions and sports.

World Vision is therefore asking journalists to shift their focus a bit to social issues.

Mr Joshua Baidoo, the Southern Regions Operations Manager of World Vision International (WVI) Ghana, has appealed to journalists to be child-sensitive and give more attention to issues affecting the safety and well-being of children.

He expressed concern about the low coverage of issues on children's wellbeing by the media, especially radio stations, who give more airspace to political discussions and sports.

That situation, Mr Baidoo said, was not the best for the upbringing and holistic development of the Ghanaian child.

Mr Baidoo made the appeal at the opening of a three-day media training workshop on Child Protection and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) on Tuesday in Sunyani.

It was organised by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), with support from the World Vision International.

It was aimed at building the capacity of the 50 journalists from the Brong-Ahafo Region who participated to enable them to report effectively on issues that negatively affect the development of children.

Mr Baidoo said the media, being a major stakeholder of development, must report effectively on children issues to promote their wellbeing as future human resource assets.

He said WVI had focused on human transformational development, relief and advocacy services in the prevention and elimination of child-marriage and child-labour, ensuring good sanitation as well as provision of quality education and potable water to the people since its 37 years of operation in Ghana.

The WVI operates in 22 districts including Atebubu and Kintampo in Brong-Ahafo Region and the Asante-Akyem Area in the Ashanti Region.

Mr George Yaw Ankamah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of the Department of Children, said the media's intervention and contribution to complementing the efforts of other child-protection groups was more than necessary and that failure to do so could create social miscreants who would rather become liabilities to the nation.

He implored the media to report on streetism, child-marriage, irresponsible parenthood and child-neglect, child abuse and other negative issues on child development, which could be aided by Information and Communication Technology.

Mr Ankamah said there existed certain communities in the Brong-Ahafo Region and other parts of the country where child marriages were being practised and, therefore, the media needed to identify, investigate and bring those cases to the attention of the authorities for action.

Mr Larry Paa Kwasi Moses, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Chair of GJA, appealed to participants to maximise the opportunity offered to learn and equip themselves to better report on child sensitive issues.

---GNA