Ms. Mary Ama Kudom-Agyeman, the Executive Director for the Media Platform on Environment and Climate Change (MPEC), has called on journalists to take a keen interest in environmental issues and focus their reporting on this critical subject. While acknowledging an increase in environmental issues’ reportage in recent times, she emphasized the need for journalists to venture into underreported fields and shed light on hidden environmental challenges.
Ms. Kudom-Agyeman highlighted that journalists should specialize in environmental reporting, given the negative impact of human activities on the environment. She identified various areas that journalists could explore, such as climate change, science, sea level rise, mining, and agriculture, to bring out the hidden challenges and effects in the public domain.
During the Ghana News Agency-Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom dialogue platform, Ms. Kudom-Agyeman emphasized the importance of addressing gender dynamics and gaps in the linkages between diseases and their environmental causes, suggesting potential areas for journalists to investigate further.
She further mentioned that MPEC had observed a wealth of research on environmental issues that is not widely known due to a lack of publication. Journalists can play a vital role in bridging this gap and bringing these issues to public attention.
According to Professor Roger Koranteng, Head of Public Sector Governance at the Commonwealth Secretariat in the United Kingdom, environmental reporting is essential as it impacts all aspects of life. He emphasized that Ghana’s destiny as a country is closely tied to how its people treat the environment, as it provides essential resources like food, clothing, and shelter.
Professor Koranteng encouraged journalists to delve into various aspects of the environment, becoming authorities on the subject while positively impacting the country.
The call for increased environmental reporting seeks to raise awareness about environmental challenges, promote sustainable practices, and foster a better understanding of the importance of preserving the environment for future generations.
