Media Response, a Ghana-based non-profit advocacy group, has organised a one-day hands-on training in digital storytelling and mini-video production for over 100 journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and reporters in Ho. The workshop, titled Digital Content Creation and Mini-Video Blogging was held under the theme “Reframing Narratives on Free Movement and Migration in West Africa.”
The training, organised by Media Response on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, forms part of the Free Movement and Migration Phase II (FMM II) project, which seeks to promote balanced, factual, and human-centred reporting on migration to shape public understanding across the sub-region.
The project activities include organising training workshops in the three border regions of Ghana – Western, Volta, and Upper East; a mini-video competition, and a three-month-long radio campaign featuring Immigration officials, community members, and migrants in each of the border areas of Elubo, Aflao, and Paga to discuss migration and free movement.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Harrison Kofi Belley, Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Volta Region Chapter, noted that the training was timely and acknowledged that social platforms have become integral to the success of policy decision-making processes at all levels.
He explained that there is little understanding of the effects of contesting and competing narratives on migration governance in West Africa. Such narratives “influence the development of programmes aimed at protecting migrants and harnessing the benefits of migration,” he said.
The training workshop is, thus, an expedient platform to equip journalists and media practitioners with the knowledge, ethical grounding and practical digital skills, he said, and urged participants to produce accurate and compelling mini-video content on free movement that will contribute to balanced public discourse.
Executive Director of Media Response, Samuel Dodoo, took participants through the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol, highlighting its key provisions and the importance of regional integration.
He stressed the need for the media to play a critical role in educating the public on the rights and responsibilities tied to free movement.
Providing practical insights from the field, DSI Justice Kudzo Normeshie of the Ghana Immigration Service Volta Regional Command touched on the realities of implementing the protocol in the region. He addressed common misconceptions and outlined operational challenges faced by immigration officers.
The workshop featured sessions on ethical migration reporting, mobile journalism, and digital content creation. Participants were taken through practical exercises, including scripting, filming, and editing short videos using their mobile phones.
At the end of the training, participants were able to produce 1-2-minute videos on various migration scenarios. They also expressed satisfaction at the topics covered under the training and pledged to apply the knowledge acquired in reshaping the negative narratives about migration and free movement.
The next training workshop will take place in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region on 20 May 2026. This will be followed by a mini-video competition in June to showcase participants’ work and a series of community radio discussions aimed at deepening public awareness of free movement across West Africa.
The project is supported by FMM West Africa, the ECOWAS Commission, the European Commission, and the African Union, among other partners.
ISD
