and digital business age
The Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) has organized a seminar for its members at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.
The seminar was under the theme: Challenges of the internet revolution in Ghana and developing new business modules for Ghana Private Newspapers in the Digital Age.
Edith Dankwa CEO of the Business and Financial Times who handled a topic on “Writing a professional business plan – A guide for Private Newspapers in Ghana” said it is about time that Ghanaian Newspaper Houses move with the times and become modern by operating both their papers and attractive internet websites as people have come to accept the social media as a form of news information source.
She urged media company owners to do the right registration, offer training and attractive salaries to staff and be creative in building new ideas and programmes.
Dr. Vita Sung Park, a Fulbright Scholar and lecturer at the University of Ghana who treated “Innovation in Newspaper content & layout: Repackaging & Rebranding of Private Newspapers to face challenges of Digital Age” said the new role of most media people should now be Multi media Journalism as the new age media men and women can use their mobile phones to do the news online in text, pictures, audio, video and graphics.
He said some people are now practicing data journalism by working on the collection of data for news and statistics for institutions and government agencies.
He tasked journalists to give value to news as well as their editors and publishers.
According to Dr. Park a media company owner or journalist must have an online plan in this new age, optimize for mobile, invest in infrastructure and training, serve readership with more accurate and better content for development, education and transformation.
Mrs. Gina Blay, Publisher of the Daily Guide Newspaper who is the current President of PRINPAG said no on can run away from thr digital age and the best to do is to adjust and be in tune with the modern trends and try to be sustainable to be in business for the future. She thanked the United States of America Embassy for financing the seminar.
Jeanne L. Clark, Information Officer at the Embassy of the United States of America expressed her satisfaction with the patronage and topics discussed which were relevant to present day journalism in Ghana.
She was glad Ghana and the United States will meet again at the FIFA World Cup and urged people in sports and media to take advantage to link up for contacts to do business among the two countries.
Nii Laryea Sowah, Executive Secretary of PRINPAG thanked all who attended and promised to compile all the information gathered at the seminar into a booklet for the participants and others who wish to learn from the programme.
