The Journalism Hangout is making impact

There are many models of training journalists, and The Journalism Hangout, created and convened by Emmanuel K Dogbevi since May 2019 has grown and is now held across Ghana. Testimonies from some of the participants show that it is making impact.

The Journalism Hangout, an informal training event for journalists was created to meet the deep, and urgent need for continuous training of journalists in Ghana. It is a known fact that continuous training sharpens skills and motivates professionals, and that’s what The Journalism Hangout has been achieving – motivating, inspiring and empowering journalists to improve their craft and to deliver impactful journalism.

Participants are learning and applying new ways of doing impactful journalism. It is also a forum to network and learn first hand about other journalists and share experiences. Discussions at The Hangout focus on professionalism and deals with topics like fact-checking, storytelling, the emergence of AI and what journalists should do. There are conversations about investigative skills, how to develop sources and skills like paying attention to details.

Since 2019, more than 100 journalists and individuals in other professions have participated in the programme – some out of curiosity, and others to learn about journalism and to share knowledge and experience. They include university lecturers, professors, writers, teachers, policy analysts, building contractors and PR students and practitioners.

Dogbevi, the Managing Editor of Ghana Business News and Executive Director of the not-for-profit journalism training organisation says, “the main objective for which I created The Journalism Hangout, transferring applicable skills to journalists to improve their journalism is being achieved.”

So far about nine regions of Ghana’s 16 regions have been covered. These are the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono, Eastern, Volta and Western Regions have been covered. The other regions are Upper East, North East and Northern.

The impacts

Sharing about the impact of the Hangout in a Facebook comment, Ansah Kojo Ansah, the Eastern Regional Correspondent for StarrFM and GHOne says he learned about the value of collaborations from the Hangout. He applied it and the results were remarkable.

“You changed my thinking on this matter during The Journalism Hangout in Koforidua that “journalism has moved from competition to collaboration for maximized impact.”

He adds, “You gave examples of many great cross-border collaborative investigative journalism projects that you have been involved in, etc.

You said at the local level journalists and media houses can similarly collaborate to investigate corruption for maximum impact. After the Hangout, I tried this with a remote local radio station on a matter, and it was efficient, less costly, and impactful since the local media house also worked on the story at the local level in addition to the national conversation,” he added.

Tahiru Ibrahim of Zaa Multimedia in Tamale has this to say, “The Journalism Hangout was insightful and impactful. It will further enhance my work and guide me in my career.” Ibrahim also indicated that it was motivating and he also “gained insights into the importance of fact-checking and how journalists can do impactful work,” he said.

The participants leave the event fired up and more confident than before they came, as they depart with the knowledge that, they are not alone and the belief that good quality journalism is achievable, even in their peculiar circumstances.

The Journalism Hangout has no corporate nor institutional sponsor or sponsors. It is financed by Dogbevi with support in donations from some of his friends who believe in the utility of The Journalism Hangout.

By John Mensah

The post The Journalism Hangout is making impact appeared first on Ghana Business News.

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