Investigative journalism training opens in Accra
Fifteen journalists are undergoing training to enhance their capacity to report on corruption, money laundering, terrorism, and embezzlement of public funds.
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The journalists, drawn from various media houses in the country, would be taken through topics such as investigative techniques, working with whistleblowers, understanding and reading financial statements, the links between financial crime and governance issues and the importance of detecting these crimes among other relevant topics.
The three-day training is being organised jointly by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) and the Whistleblowers and Journalists Safety International Centre (WAJSIC).
International journalists and experts such as celebrated investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, an investigative journalist from Reuters, Sonia Rolley, award-winning freelance journalist from Cameroun; Christian Locka, among others would be sharing their experiences and insights at the event.
Whistleblowers
Opening the training in Accra, Mr Anas, who highlighted some of the methods of his investigative work, emphasised the crucial role of whistleblowers in investigative journalism. “As investigative journalists you should know that the work we do is incomplete without our sources or whistle blowers.
So every time these people (whistleblowers) are very important”, he said. He explained that in the era of social media and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, the work of an investigative journalist had become difficult.
In order to navigate the situation, he said, there was the need for investigative journalists to go the extra mile by probing further, “drilling” topics extensively to uncover the ills of society.
Describing the participants as torch-bearers of the country’s investigative journalism future, he charged them to be disciplined by pursuing investigative stories alongside meeting their newsroom assignments and targets.
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Collaboration
For her part, Ms Rolley said there was the need for investigative journalists to forge partnerships in their various beats adding: “Do not fight or betray each other. The more we stick together, the better since you are all fighting for the good of society”.
For his part, Mr Locka, emphasised that investigative journalists needed to be professional in their work to overcome the risks and hazards associated with the work. “Your first defence is your work and professionalism, if you have them, you have nothing to fear,” he said.
The Western Africa Director of PPAAF, Jimmy Kande, was committed to providing legal assistance, shelter to whistleblowers and investigative journalists through the collaborative efforts of CSOs and government.