Mr. Paul Nana Kwabena Aborampah Mensah, Programme Manager for Security Sector Governance and Local and Urban of the CDD, has urged Journalists to build credibility and trust in the discharge of their mandate. 'Set the right agenda devoid of partisanship, sensationalism and leave the public to make the informed decision on all matters pertaining to state and governance knowing that your credibility is a trump card for your station and you as a person', the CDD Officer added. Mr. Mensah told Journalists during a two-day capacity building workshop; 'Citizens/Media Election Observation and Reporting Technique', under the Western Region Manifesto Project, which is being implemented by the GJA-Western Region with funding from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. The CDD programme Manager said Journalists must also be careful of Artificial Intelligence and avoid relaying any material laid on social media as 'news break'…'please check dates, sources, sensationalism, judge hard and call experts where necessary to confirm.' 'Don't thrive on fake news, misinformation, disinformation or misinformation as it will rather go a long way to dent your professionalism status,' he added. Touching on elections, he noted that Journalists must be critical in knowing the legal provisions and the various constitutional instruments. He asked Journalists to see planning as an important tool in covering elections from the pre to the post elections stage bearing in mind good reportage with the potency to hold the nation together. Mr. Mensah urged reporters to always keep some checklist on opening of polls through to end of proceedings to be able to update the public. He said, 'undertake independent review of the Electoral laws, code of conduct, understand procurement processes and support civic education on the process.' On matters of safety, he advised the Journalists to plan for their own security and look out for early warning signals, adding that half report was always better than death report. Some of the Journalists the GNA spoke with were full of praise for the Western Regional office of the GJA for the training, which they believe would enhance their reporting skills during the 2024 elections and afterwards. Mr. Desmond Cudjoe, the Western Regional Chairman, said the project sought to amplify the voices of electorates on critical issues that mattered to their development and communities. He noted that, the project would empower the electorates with requisite information to influence political party manifestos and hold duty bearers, particularly elected parliamentarians and the government accountable. Four major activities have been designed for the project; capacity building for journalists on election monitoring and reporting, town hall meetings in seven designated constituencies, political Parties' Campaign Monitoring and election observation and Radio dialogues on topical issues on pre-election, during and post-elections. Mr. Cudjoe said such activities would enhance contributions from electorates in reshaping developme ntal agenda, and deepen the understanding of political actors on the concerns of electorates. 'With this project, the GJA Western Region will deploy a universal reporting platform and community discussion Board to excite conversations on electoral and developmental issues peculiar to each constituency and the Western Region.' Source: Ghana News Agency