Media Foundation for West Africa, a non-governmental rganization (NGO), is collaborating with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to develop a capacity building programme on petroleum reporting for journalists in the country. Professor Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of the Foundation, said the programme has been necessitated by the oil find in large commercial quantities in the country. He said the foundation considered the media a major stakeholder in the development of the petroleum industry, therefore, it was important that the knowledge of the practitioners were broadened enough to report on petroleum issues accurately. Prof. Karikari was speaking at a meeting for managers of radio stations in the Ashanti Region in Kumasi over the weekend. It was sponsored by the Ghana Media Standards Improvement Project, a collaborative programme between the foundation and GJA and it was aimed at sensitizing the stations on good journalism practices in the country. The Executive Director said, currently, there were 168 radio stations in Ghana and that demonstrated the extent to which the nation has advanced in its bid to entrench the freedom of expression. He said much as the proliferation of radio stations had its positive effects on the progress of the country, there was the need for them to discharge their duties responsibly by upholding the ethics of the profession. He urged journalists to be circumspect in their reportage and also give prominence to development activities and programmes to improve the living conditions of the people. Prof. Karikari said there was the need for radio stations to shun sensationalism, exaggeration and reports that could tarnish the hard-won reputation of decent people in society. He announced that as part of efforts to further deepen freedom of the press, his Foundation had submitted a critique to the Minister of Justice and Attorney- General for a review of a proposed Defamation Bill which is being considered by government. “We see the proposed Bill as counter-productive to enhancing freedom of the media if it is passed into law and therefore we expect government to drop that idea”, he said. Ms. Ajoa Yeboa-Afari, Coordinator of the project and the immediate past president of the GJA, said she was hopeful that there would be an improvement in running of radio stations in the country after the project. Source: GNA/Ghana