Ashanti GJA, RSF Germany Train Journalists on Environmental Reporting and Safety
Ashanti GJA and RSF Germany are empowering journalists with skills in environmental reporting and personal safety to mark World Environment Day 2026.
- Journalists receive environmental reporting training.
- Safety skills highlighted for high-risk assignments.
- Experts to lead sessions on mining and sustainability.
The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), in collaboration with Reporters Without Borders (RSF Germany), is marking World Environment Day 2026 with a specialised training programme aimed at enhancing environmental journalism and reporter safety.
The initiative is designed to equip selected journalists with the expertise needed to cover environmental issues accurately while navigating the risks often associated with reporting in sensitive and hazardous locations.
The programme comes amid growing national concern over environmental degradation, particularly the impact of illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey. While Ghana’s mining sector continues to play a key role in economic development, it also presents significant environmental and social challenges that demand informed public discussion and responsible media coverage.
Organisers say journalists are vital in raising awareness about environmental issues, promoting accountability and encouraging actions that support sustainable development and natural resource protection.
Participants will receive training from a panel of experts, including the Ashanti Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Jackson Adiyah Nyantakyi; award-winning environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor; KNUST criminologist Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware; and Ashanti GJA Chairman Kofi Adu Domfeh.
The sessions will focus on environmental journalism, responsible coverage of mining activities, conflict-sensitive reporting, risk assessment and practical safety strategies for journalists operating in high-risk environments.
The training also responds to increasing threats faced by journalists investigating environmental crimes and illegal mining. In recent years, media practitioners have reported incidents of intimidation, assaults, harassment and injuries while covering stories in remote mining communities.
Speaking ahead of the event, Kofi Adu Domfeh stressed the importance of equipping journalists with both technical knowledge and safety awareness.
He noted that journalists play a crucial role in helping communities understand the consequences of environmental destruction and the need for sustainable action. He added that effective reporting requires accuracy, courage and a strong understanding of personal safety.
According to Domfeh, quality environmental journalism remains essential for promoting transparency, supporting evidence-based policymaking and amplifying the voices of affected communities.
The Ashanti GJA-RSF Germany partnership is expected to strengthen cooperation between journalists, regulatory agencies and stakeholders in the mining sector while encouraging ethical and fact-driven reporting on environmental issues.
Organisers believe the programme will contribute to more informed public discussions on environmental governance and support efforts to build a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future for Ghana.
World Environment Day 2026 is being observed under the theme: “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”
