Happy FM equips journalists with skills needed for comprehensive and responsible 2024 election coverage
Happy 98.9 FM, lead station of the Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company (GMABC) election camp, has conducted an extensive and strategic training program for its media professionals in preparation for the 2024 General Elections, demonstrating the station’s commitment to journalistic excellence and democratic engagements.
The comprehensive training session, meticulously designed and led by GMABC Coverage Coordinator Fati Shaibu-Ali, brought together a diverse team of journalists, reporters, producers, and presenters from Happy FM and its affiliate stations to ensure robust, ethical, and professional election coverage.
The training, strategically timed on December 5, 2024 – the day of final rallies for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) – represented a multifaceted approach to election reporting preparedness. Utilizing both in-person sessions at the Happy FM Newsroom and extensive Zoom with correspondents across Ghana, the program focused on developing skills and reinforcing critical journalistic principles.
Fati Shaibu-Ali emphasized the core mission of the training: “Our fundamental objective is to provide Ghanaian citizens with accurate, fair, and responsible election coverage. We have systematically equipped our team with the critical skills and ethical frameworks needed to report on this crucial democratic process with the highest level of professionalism and integrity.”
The training program encompassed several critical dimensions of election reporting, including:
Verification and Sourcing Protocols: Journalists were trained to prioritize accuracy over speed, ensuring that every piece of information is thoroughly verified before publication. The training stressed the importance of using credible, verifiable sources and practicing responsible attribution.
Security Awareness: Detailed sessions were dedicated to understanding security measures at polling stations and collation centers, ensuring the safety of reporters while maintaining the integrity of their reporting.
Ethical Reporting Guidelines: The training reinforced the principles of impartiality, balanced reporting, and the critical role of the media in supporting democratic processes.
Providing additional context to the training initiative, Kwabena Ampong, Programmes Manager for Happy FM, shared his perspective on the importance of media preparedness during elections.
“In modern democratic reporting, preparation is not just an advantage – it is an absolute necessity,” Ampong stated. “This training represents our commitment to providing Ghanaian citizens with transparent, accurate, and meaningful election coverage. We are not just reporting an election; we are facilitating an essential democratic dialogue.”
Ampong further highlighted the significance of GMABC election camp’s collaborative approach. “By bringing together multiple media platforms – Happy 98.9 FM, YFM from Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi, and EProductions – we create a comprehensive network of informed, ethical, and professional journalists dedicated to serving the public’s right to know.”
GMABC election camp is set to deliver unprecedented coverage across multiple platforms:
Live reporting on election eve on December 6, 2024 Comprehensive social media engagements, Broad digital broadcasts on Facebook and YouTube In-depth discussions featuring carefully selected, credible resource persons Real-time, multi-platform reporting to ensure maximum accessibility.
This training initiative underscores Happy FM’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s democratic process through responsible, ethical, and professional journalism. By investing in Journalists’ training, the station aims to contribute to a transparent, informed, and engaged electorate.
