The Acting Director of the Information Services Department (ISD), Dr Winifred Nafisah Mahama, has encouraged staff of the Media Division to take full advantage of a two-day training to enhance their performance.
According to Dr Mahama, the capacity-building training was designed to improve staff performance, particularly in feature article writing, effective research techniques, news reporting, fact-checking and the use of Artificial Intelligence.
She noted that the knowledge being shared during the programme was equivalent to what some institutions offer over an entire academic semester, stressing the importance of participants paying keen attention and actively engaging in the sessions.
“This two-day training is like a whole semester’s course in some institutions; therefore, staff should make the most of the opportunity to sharpen their skills and improve upon their work,” she stated.
The Head of the Human Resource Unit of ISD, Madam Augustina Agyemang, also encouraged staff to approach the sessions with seriousness and commitment to enhance their professional craft and improve service delivery within the department.
The first day of the training featured two facilitators with extensive experience in media and information management.
Former Head of Operations at ISD, Mr Nelson Akatey, led participants through feature article writing, highlighting the principles of crafting compelling, factual and reader-friendly stories. He urged staff to consider three key aspects, such as the audience, purpose and context in writing a feature article.
Also, Mr George Frimpong Basoah, from the Access to Information Division, took participants through research and writing accuracy, emphasising the need for credible sourcing, fact-checking, and the use of verification tools such as FactCheck.org and the RTI Information Portal.
The second day of the training focused on news reporting, editing, proofreading and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism.
The Head of Media Relations, Dr Samuel Antwi, facilitated a session on news report writing, editing and proofreading. He guided participants on techniques for producing clear, concise and professionally structured news stories.
Similarly, the Acting Director of ISD, Dr Winifred Nafisah Mahama, also delivered a lecture on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in news reporting and fact-checking.
She highlighted the growing relevance of AI tools in modern journalism and urged staff to use such technologies responsibly to improve accuracy, efficiency and credibility in information dissemination.
She emphasised the catchword, “Use AI Intelligently, Verify Independently and Report Responsibly.”
At the closing session, Dr Mahama congratulated staff for their active participation and commitment throughout the training programme.
She further announced that the training would become an annual refresher programme due to the rapidly changing nature of information systems and communication practices.
Also, the Head of Media Division, Adiza Ofori Adu, expressed gratitude to the Acting Director for making the training possible and for personally sharing her knowledge and expertise with staff.
She also commended participants for their cooperation and dedication throughout the two-day programme.
Deborah Narkie Nartey, ISD
