The Parliamentary Centre in Ghana

The Role of the Media in the Sustenance of Parliamentary Democracy

Residential Workshop for the Media in Parliament
28-30 April 2006
Chances Hotel, Ho

The Ghana Parliamentary Committee’s Support Project Phase II organized a two day workshop on “The Role of the Media in the Sustenance of Parliamentary Democracy” for 30 representatives from the Parliamentary Press Corps. This workshop formed part of efforts aimed at enhancing capacity to achieve more effective parliamentary democracy in Ghana. Specifically the weekend workshop contributed towards developing a more effective parliamentary press corps that reports effectively on the business of Parliament as part of efforts aimed at strengthen accountability, transparency and participation in the parliamentary governance of Ghana with particular attention to poverty reduction.

Workshop Objectives

It is believed that the media are partners with Parliament in the purpose of informing and educating the public on daily parliamentary proceedings. If members of the parliamentary press corps are trained to understand concepts such as the Millennium Development Goal, the Ghana Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy and introduced to new ICT tools essential for enhancing their performance, it would assist the media to efficiently and effectively report on proceedings in Parliament.

The objective of the workshop therefore was to increase the awareness, knowledge and skills of members of the Parliamentary Press Corps to enable them integrate development issues into Parliamentary Reporting. The specific objectives were:

• To introduce parliamentary press corps to various development concepts such as the MDG, the GPRS, NEPAD etc
• To take the press through issues of Parliamentary reporting increase knowledge of Parliamentary Staff on gender issues
• To provide staff with a set of tools for use in their work which can be adapted to suit various situations

Expected Results

The workshop contributed to the following results:

• Increased attention to issues of Poverty Reduction in the work of key Parliamentary Committees in Ghana
• Improvement of capacity and understanding of Parliamentary Press of their role and of Parliament’s role in accountability, transparency and policy development with respect to economic directions, financial integrity, gender equality, and poverty reduction

Cross section of Parliamentary press corps participating in the GPCSPII weekend workshop		From left to right: Edwin Arthur (Dean press corps) Hon Akua S. Dansua ( 2 nd Deputy Minority Whip) Hon. Freddie W.A. Blay ( 1 st Deputy Speaker) Mr Morgan (Head of Dept. Human Resource), Hon, Albert K. Obbin (MP Prestea-Huni Valley, Marilyn Aniwa (GPCSPII In-country coordinator) Mr Jones Kugblenu (Head of Dept. Public Affairs)
First Deputy Speaker Hon, Freddie W.A. Blay addressing Participants, to his right is the Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corp Mr. Edwin Arthur		Hon Ken Dzirasah making his presentation, to his left is the In-country Coordinator GPCSPII Ms. Marilyn Aniwa
Gallery of Participants’ most important ICT Tool and Why		Information Gallery for Participants