Journalists urged to partner anti-corruption agencies to fight corruption

Kumasi, Dec 11, GNA - The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has asked journalist to partner anti-corruption agencies to fight corruption and ensure accountability and transparency in the public sector.

Ms. Sandra Arthur, Administrative and Programmes Officer of the Coalition, who was speaking to a section of media practitioners at a day's workshop in Kumasi, stressed that the media, the only constitutionally-mandated institution to expose corrupt practices in the society, has been identified as an important ally.

She said although according to transparency International's 2008 corruption perception index report, Ghana seemed to have maintained its 3.9 score making it the seventh least corrupt among African countries, the canker still pervades society and needed to be tackled. The programme, she said was part of her outfit's interventions to build partnership with other stakeholders. It is also aimed at enhancing the capacity of journalists to venture into investigative reporting to expose corrupt practice in Ghana.

"Media Reportage on Corruption" was the theme for the workshop. Speaking on challenges and techniques of investigative reporting, Mr. Suleman Braimah of the School of Communication Studies, Legon, said journalists must be well-resourced whilst constitutional provisions are also made to insulate and protect them from government interferences and other risks. 11 Dec,09