Ghana financial and economic journalism said to be over-reliant on events
The jury of the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) 2nd Flamingo Awards says financial and economic journalism in Ghana is replete with hollow treatment of topics, promotional corporate pieces and over-reliance on events and arranged reportage.
The head of the jury Mr Daniel Otabil Koomson, former Communications and Public Affairs Manager of the Agricultural Development Bank (adb), says though events can create opportunities for self-generated reportage, those opportunities “are often missed or ignored” by journalists.
Mr Koomson who made the remark during the 2nd Flamingo Awards for Business and Financial Journalism organized by IFEJ, added that the solution “depends on both the practitioners themselves and their media houses or bosses.”
The President of IFEJ, Mr Lloyd Evans, reiterated that the media needs to lead in the demand for accountability and to maintain oversight responsibility, together with development partners and civil society organizations, over the public purse.
“In countries that have made it, the media made it impossible for government to misbehave. We can only take responsibility if the media itself becomes responsible.”
The second edition of the Flamingo Awards,was on the theme “Protecting the Public Purse”. Some journalists were awarded for excellent reporting.
Special awards were given to Adnan Adams Mohammed of Economy Times, Kwasi Adjei Anim of Viasat 1 and Francis Tandoh of Xinhua News Agency (Accra Bureau), for consistent and committed reporting on extractive industries, after being taken through a two-year training programme.
Felix Klutse of Business Day received the award for the best finance feature, Kwasi Adjei Anim for the best agribusiness feature, and Kofi Adu Domfeh of Kumasi-based Luv FM, for the best extractives feature, best developmental feature and for being the overall best financial and economic journalist of the year.
The 2nd Flamingo awards was partnered by the World Bank, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Enterprise Life Insurance, Agricultural Development Bank (adb), the Melcom Group, Bank of Ghana, Ghana Commercial Bank, Accra Brewery, Vivo Energy, Stanbic Bank, Central Securities Depository, EDAIF, McOttely Holdings Limited and others.
By Emmanuel Odonkor