Journalists across Ghana have been urged to leverage the Right to Information (RTI) Law to access information that might otherwise remain hidden, rather than relying solely on whistle blowers.
Kwaku Krobea Asante, an investigative journalist with The Fourth Estate, a subsidiary of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), noted that while whistle blowers are crucial in exposing malpractice, their motives can sometimes be biased, making stories disputable.
He advised journalists to balance whistle blower input with independent sources such as RTI requests and field investigations to ensure accuracy, fairness, and credibility.
Mr Asante made the call during a three-day workshop in Accra, organised for 30 journalists on using the RTI Law for investigative reporting. The training, hosted by the MFWA, followed a similar anti-corruption journalism programme held a month earlier with support from GIZ.
He emphasised that journalists must create evidence-based stories to inform public opinion and promote accountability.
“They must master writing RTI requests to authenticate information, build databases, fact-check, and produce robust investigative pieces,” he said.
Legal practitioner Zakaria Tanko Musah urged journalists to uphold their values despite challenges, stressing that the media are the public’s eyes and ears.
Dr Aurelia Ayisi, gender advocate and University of Ghana lecturer, encouraged gender-neutral reporting and exposure of sextortion and gender-related corruption to strengthen fairness and uphold journalistic integrity.
By FRANCIS DABRE DABANG
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The post Journalists urged to use RTI Law alongside Whistle Blowers’ Law appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
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