Shift focus from traditional methods of circulating news

A Deputy Minister of Communication, Mr Ato Sarpong, has tasked managers of the Ghanaian media industry to shift their focus from the traditional methods of circulating news and make use of the various technologies currently at their disposal.

He said the young generation no longer relied primarily on radio and newspapers to access news and added that most people “are now using various electronic devices to access any kind of news they want.”

“As we speak now, there are more than 16 million mobile internet users in Ghana and about 4.2 million people using laptops to access information. If you continue to use radio and print to churn out news, you will be out of business in no time,” Mr Sarpong said at an international forum in Accra.

Dubbed the “Future of News” forum, the event was organised by Penplusbytes in partnership with Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and JOY FM, a radio station in Accra.

Penplusbytes is a non-profit organisation that seeks to empower the media through the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to advance journalism in the coverage of governance and accountability.

A panel discussion on the future of news that examined innovation tools for newsroom, new technologies and insights that could be used to transform the media industry was held as part of the forum.

The event was also used to launch the Online Editors Association of Ghana (OEAG).

The network is to serve as a platform for the editors to connect, inspire and share ideas to define the future of online journalism in the country.

Be innovative

Mr Sarpong said for the media industry to stay relevant, there was the need for both journalists and media owners to be innovative and creative in coming out with various platforms for circulating news.

While urging managers of the media to focus more on putting structures in place to make news circulation simpler, easier, and faster, he tasked journalists, especially those in the electronic field, to stop discussing relevant issues with people who had little or no knowledge about the matter.

Allowing people to talk about issues they are not well informed about, Mr Sarpong said, created unnecessary tension and anxiety.

Panel discussions

The three panelists, Mr Dan Gilmor, an international author; Ms Nnenna Nwakanma, the Africa Regional Coordinator for the World Wide Web Foundation and Mr Ethan Zuckerman, the Director of Centre for Civic Media at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, stressed the need for managers of Ghanaian media to use every available platform to reach out to their targets.

Mr Gilmor said it was the duty of the media to use technology and any available platform to chart the way for people to discuss issues, adding that “the media should not leave that to anybody.”

“The media should not allow Facebook and other social network to decide what news is,” he advised.

Touching on modern news generation, Ms Nwakanma urged the media to focus more on basic daily issues that would enhance the wellbeing of the people.

“People want to know what is trending; the economic situation such as the strength of the local currency to other currencies. People need information fast to make decisions and they must get it by any means,” she said.

For his part, Mr Zuckerman said the media should shift from being authoritative to creating a dialogue in which people could participate instead of sitting back and watching things happen.

Penplusbytes motive

In her welcome address, the Strategic Director of Penplusbytes, Ms Juliet Amoah, said the event was crafted as a lively and interactive conversation that would provide unparalleled insight and predications not only on how news was produced but also how it was consumed.