Strengthening Media Oversight of Oil, Gas and Minerals in Ghana and Uganda
The Revenue Watch Institute offers training to journalists in Ghana and Uganda to improve their ability to report and write about oil, gas and mining. Lessons from this pilot project will help Revenue Watch and its partners improve media training in other countries.
BACKGROUND
Good governance of oil, gas and mining resources and the revenues they generate requires effective oversight. An active, knowledgeable press plays a critical role in helping inform and engage the public, citizen groups and parliaments and thus help them hold government and companies accountable.
However, in many resource-rich countries, journalists lack the knowledge and skills to report and write in depth on oil, gas and mineral issues. RWI commissioned Columbia University's School of Journalism and School of International and Public Affairs to research the environment for journalism in Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda. Their report, "There Will be Ink," concluded that most journalism training is short-term with little follow-up or monitoring. Existing training programs have a broad focus on business and economics and fail to address issues about prudent and responsible management of these industries and the revenues they produce.
THE CHALLENGE
Many journalists in Africa are relatively poorly paid, have limited technological support and face political and editorial interference. In countries where oil, gas or mineral production is new, such as Ghana and Uganda, journalists face the additional problem of having little knowledge about the industry and related economic issues.
RWI has been unable to identify any existing media courses that train journalists on oil, gas and mining reporting. Of the journalists who report on business, few focus solely on covering these industries. On a more practical level, journalists with little time and little or no funds to pursue stories often resort to relying on press releases or conferences for stories instead of conducting independent reporting.
Many governments and private-sector interests avoid media scrutiny by remaining silent on public interest issues, such as royalty and tax agreements, budgets and spending. Some countries constitutionally guarantee freedom of expression and freedom of information, but those freedoms may be severely limited in practice. Journalists face threats to their livelihood and safety, and fear of these threats often leads to self-censorship, including an unwillingness to conduct in-depth reporting.
Addressing the media's role in resource-rich countries such as Ghana and Uganda is critical because both nations will soon receive significant revenues from newly developed oil fields. To report fairly, accurately and comprehensively, journalists need a sound knowledge of the sector and the ability to analyse and report on its complexities.
THE TRAINING APPROACH
Recognizing these challenges, RWI designed a pilot training program in Ghana and Uganda to promote effective, consistent media oversight of oil, gas and mining. The program seeks to increase the number and quality of stories in both print and radio, and develop training tools that are self-sustaining in the pilot countries and replicable in others. Helping the media to perform its role more effectively will contribute to using natural resources for the public good.
Three classes of 15 journalists will participate in an eight-month program that includes an overview course on the sector and more in-depth study of relevant national oil and gas industry. It also includes a mentorship program in which journalists partner with more experienced reporters who can offer assistance with reporting and analysis. During the training, the journalists will also make three field visits to expose them to sources and possible stories they may not have had access to in the past.
Journalists will also be eligible for travel and writing scholarships. An annual prize will be awarded to help raise the profile of reporting on these topics and encourage journalists to raise their standards.
As RWI works with journalists, it will also strengthen media training organizations, to help them develop journalism courses on oil, gas and mining and to replicate the training program in more countries. RWI works with the Thomson Reuters Foundation; in Ghana with PenPlusBytes, the International Institute of ICT Journalism; and, in Uganda, with the African Centre for Media Excellence. RWI's program includes independent monitoring and evaluation to measure impact and guide expansion of this training.
LEARN MORE
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PenPlusBytes (penplusbytes.org)
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African Centre for Media Excellence (acme-ug.org)
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Thomson Reuters Foundation (trust.org)
