Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, the Minister of Information, has called on journalists to avail themselves of capacity building programmes, saying a flourishing democracy is built on an informed media. She said the media was a strong instrument that carried a lot of responsibility, hence needed to embrace training that aimed at equipping them with tools to enlighten the public. Madam Abubakar made the call at the opening ceremony of the third Cohorts Media Capacity Enhancement Programme in Accra on the theme: 'Equipping the Media to Play an Important Role in our Nation Building'. The programme was organised by the Ministry in partnership with the Ghana Institute of Journalism of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) with funding support from the Volta River Authority and MTN Ghana. The Minister, who mentioned reporters, correspondents, commentators, directors, social media users, analysts, editors as some of the participants, expressed optimism that the programme positioned them to play their role effectively as the fourth estate in the governance system. Professor Eric Opoku Mensah, the Vice Chancellor, UniMAC, said the primary goal of the training was to increase professionalism between media personalities and their media houses, especially as the nation was approaching a competitive election period. He said it was crucial that journalists demonstrated high levels of professionalism like impartiality, objectivity and balance in their reportage. UniMAC's partnership with the Ministry for the programme, he said, was relevant to the University's mandate of imparting professional skills into its students. He encouraged journalists to take advantage of the University's short courses to acquire more knowhow to add more value to their work. Mr Ernest Boateng, Vice President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, said participants would learn about the culture of accountability, ethical and balanced news reporting. The skills and knowledge acquired at the end of the three-day training, he said, would equip them to navigate skills of modern reporting, including influence of social media and combating misinformation, diverse representation and inclusivity. 'It is crucial to recognise that the strength of the media lies in solidarity, mutual respect for values of truth and integrity, and together we can build a media environment that is ethical and reflects the value of society to safeguard its pillars,' he said. Mr Jeorge Wilson Kingson, Executive Secretary, Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) said the media faced significant capacity building challenges which sometimes hindered their ability to perform roles effectively. He urged all stakeholders to fully embrace the opportunity for growth and development to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the nation. Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association, said the programme would enhance media freedom as a well equip them to play an effective watchdog role. 'When J ournalists get the right tools to grow, they engage well with their audience and plan for the future,' he added. He appealed to the Government to continue to invest in training journalists in digital literacy, multimedia storytelling and digital journalism and called on corporate entities to help increase the cohort of the next training programmes. Mr Dwumour expressed the hope that the training would equip participants with skills to provide unbiased reportage in the upcoming general elections. Mr Ken Arthur, Deputy Chief Executive (Services), Volta River Authority, said the importance of accurate journalism could not be overemphasised, as journalists informed, educated and empowered citizens. A strong media, Mr Arthur said, enhanced public trust in institutions to contribute to national policies and development. In the energy sector, he said the media educated the public on energy conservation, sustainability and renewable energy solutions. He therefore called for a concerted effort of government and the private sector to support initiatives to empower the media to drive meaningful national development. Source: Ghana News Agency