The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, GJA, Mr. Roland Affail Monney, has charged the Ghanaian media to turn more attention to its reportage on persons with special needs [disability].

“We need to make a big move from the compulsive and obsessive use of stories on NDC and NPP to make room for persons with disabilities,” Mr Monney said.

Speaking at the launch of the Media Capacity Building Initiative for Reporting on Disability by Yali TV, he explained that journalists play a critical role in the development of persons with special needs [disabilities] who fall within the marginalized and minority population.

He said, “as media practitioners, ours is to use the power we wield and the influence we peddle to better the lots of people with disabilities. Social exclusion, stigmatization, discrimination and in some cases victimization are the lots of people with disability in this country.”

Mr. Affail Monney add that journalists have the “constitutional and ethical responsibilities to ensure these challenges of people with disabilities do not become a permanent problem.”

“We have constitutional and ethical responsibilities to ensure these challenges of people with disabilities do not become a permanent problem. From now on, we declare war on factors which inhibit the fulfilment of the human rights of people with disability.”

About Media Capacity Building Initiative

The Media Capacity Building Initiative for Reporting on Disability is a project by YALI TV in close collaboration with the U.S. Embassy Ghana, Ghana Journalists Association, National Center on Disability and Journalism, and the Bluecrest University College to train, empower and equip journalists who provide comprehensive reportage on the predicament, challenges, and impact of people with disability.

The initiative would provide professional development, guidance, and resource platforms for effective reporting on people with disabilities; their lifestyle, challenges, and impact in Ghana with a focus on digital, print, and broadcast media.

The 2021 edition will competitively select 30 Ghanaian journalists to take part in a 2-day residential training.