Media outlets to receive support for quality output – Information Minister

The International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) is to offer financial support to media outlets in the country to promote press freedom. 

In line with that, the organisation is to establish an office in Accra in May, this year, to facilitate their work.  It will serve as the Africa regional headquarters of the organisation.

The IFPIM is a global coalition supported by governments, philanthropic organisations and private companies to address structural challenges facing independent journalism in low and middle-income countries.

The fund seeks to chart a course towards long-term economic resilience for media organisations, and also contribute to the health and sustainability of democratic societies.

The Minister of Information-designate, Fatimatu Abubakar, announced this when she hosted a team from DW Akademie, a German leading organisation for international media development, in Accra yesterday to discuss issues of importance for the development of the media in the country.

Collaboration

Mrs Abubakar said as part of efforts to help media houses get bursary support for their work, her outfit began a process some three years ago to get the IFPIM to set up its office in the country.

She acknowledged the economic challenges being encountered by the media in recent times and said the support from the organisation would boost the work of journalists, especially as the nation prepared for this year’s general election.

“Agreements have been signed, their regional representative is in the country, and an office allocated. In the next one month, we will conduct an official opening of the IFPIM Ghana Office,” the minister added.

As part of the host nation agreement, she said the government would also extend diplomatic courtesies to enable the organisation to operate freely in the country.

Mrs Abubakar commended DW for being in the Ghanaian media landscape and supporting its development over the years.

Proliferation of media outlets

The minister-designate said there were over 700 registered radio stations in the country, with 550 being active, and about 100 active television stations on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platforms.

“Generally, there is so much struggle in the media space. The media houses really do need some help,” she said.
Mrs Abubakar, therefore, called for more support, especially in capacity training and other activities of the media to enhance the quality of work, adding “the government would be excited to be partners”.

She said the government had rolled out three key programmes — media capacity enhancement, a coordinated mechanism on the safety of journalists, and a campaign on misinformation and disinformation to promote peace in the country.

Collaboration

The leader of the DW team, Natascha Schwanke, said the visit was to deepen collaboration between the organisation and the Information Ministry as DW was into media growth.

She said DW, since 2013, had focused its attention on media development in Ghana.

The Programme Director of West Africa and Central Africa Media Development of DW Akademie, Ama Kodjo, said they had over the years been supporting investigative journalism by building the capacity of journalists in that sector.