A group photograph of Resource Persons and media persons taken after the risk management forum.
In a decisive move to combat the growing threats faced by media practitioners in Ghana, the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), in partnership with Reporters Without Borders (RSF-Germany), has hosted a specialized training workshop.
The initiative aimed to arm local journalists with advanced skills in environmental reporting while providing critical strategies for personal safety and risk management.
The workshop, funded entirely by RSF-Germany, addressed pressing ecological crises gripping the nation, with a particular focus on climate change, deforestation, and the devastating impacts of illegal artisanal mining, locally known as galamsey.
Galamsey Crisis:
The training comes at a flashpoint in Ghanaian journalism.
Over the last decade, reporting on environmental degradation, especially illegal mining has transitioned from a standard public-interest beat into one of the most perilous assignments in West Africa.
Journalists investigating galamsey routinely face hostile terrains, corporate intimidation, and violent reprisals from heavily armed illicit mining syndicates operating in forest reserves and water bodies.
The workshop provided participants with actionable frameworks for field safety, tactical risk assessment, and digital security measures.
The core message was clear and that is while exposing environmental abuses is vital for the nation’s future, no story is worth a journalist’s life.
Leveraging Fellowship Impact:
The training seminar is a direct offshoot of the 2025 Research and Recharge Fellowship awarded to celebrated Ghanaian environmental journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, by RSF-Germany.
A primary objective of this prestigious fellowship is to establish a mentorship pipeline, allowing veteran investigative reporters to pass down institutional knowledge and safety protocols to the next generation of media practitioners.
Speaking at the event, Erastus Asare Donkor emphasized that the longevity of environmental advocacy relies on the continuous nurturing of young talent.
However, he maintained that passion must be paired with tactical caution, urging newsrooms to instill rigorous safety habits before deploying reporters into volatile areas.
Institutional Support:
The state’s environmental watchdog lent its voice to the initiative.
Richard Boadi Suadwa, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), underscored the media’s indispensable role in driving sustainable development.
Mr Suadwa challenged journalists to intensify their public education campaigns, noting that regulatory enforcement is significantly amplified when backed by relentless, evidence-based media advocacy.
However, the psychological and physical toll on the press remains a severe barrier to accountability.
Criminologist:
Dr. Jones Opoku Ware, a prominent criminologist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), delivered a sobering analysis of the “climate of fear” currently paralyzing many media houses.
“Persistent attacks, digital surveillance, and physical intimidation especially against reporters tracking the financial shadows of illegal mining operations—constitute a direct assault on press freedom,” Dr. Opoku Ware warned.
He added that when journalists are terrorized into silence, environmental impunity thrives.
Call to Action:
Concluding the seminar, the Ashanti Regional GJA Chairman, Kofi Adu Domfeh, pivoted the responsibility back to media executives.
He argued that the burden of safety cannot rest solely on the shoulders of field reporters.
CHAIRMAN Domfeh issued a sharp call to action for news managers across the country to establish robust institutional protection mechanisms, invest in hostile environment training, and prioritize the holistic welfare and security of journalists assigned to high-risk beats.
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