Nkwanta (O/R)-Ghana, Dec 08, GNA – Mr Edwin Appiah, a Senior Reporter of the Fourth Estate has urged journalists in Ghana to be more creative in their reportage on issues of human trafficking.
He said creatively writing about these issues and not merely reporting them would attract the Ghanaian public to become interested in knowing about the stories and in the end, help in the fight against human trafficking.
Mr Appiah made the call during a day’s workshop for the International Justice Mission’s (IJM) second cohort of the Young Journalists’ Fellowship programme, a programme uniquely established to build the capacity of young journalists to report on human trafficking.
It is to make journalists closer advocates to empower the wider Ghanaian community to seek justice for survivors of human trafficking.
IJM, the global anti-human trafficking non-profit organisation had inducted 14 young journalists working in various media houses: radio, television, and print media across Ghana especially from destination and source communities with history of human trafficking into its fellowship programme cohort two.
The year-long fellowship has planned programmes and activities such as training workshops, coaching sessions, networking events and cohort discussions and a closing ceremony to celebrate their achievements towards the fight against human trafficking in the country.
The ongoing flagship programme themed: “Equipping the Media to Be Partners in Ending Human Trafficking in Ghana” saw facilitators including Mr Will Lathrop, country Director, IJM Ghana, Ms Shamima Muslim, Founder and Convener of the Alliance for Women in Media Africa, Ms Yaa Asamoah, a member of IJM legal team take the journalists through topics such as the role of the media on human trafficking and best journalism practices.
Also, the use of digital tools for media campaigns, creative writing, ethics on human trafficking reportage, the nature of human trafficking in Ghana, some key causes of human trafficking and how to apply investigative skills to gather news reportage.
Madam Gifty Etornam Fiagbenya, Coordinator of IJM Young Journalists Fellowship Programme encouraged all the participants to make effective use of the programme as that would help them in building their careers as journalists.
Some participants in this year’s fellowship described the programme as educative and an eye-opening one with some being emotional on the issue of trafficking on the Volta Lake and the hardship the children had to go through at the hands of their masters.
All 14 participants promised to return to their various destinations and lead charges in combating human trafficking to bring a change in the society.
