Mr. Iddi Yire, a media analyst has highlighted key roles through which the media in Ghana could advocate for debt restructuring and holding government accountable for the utilisation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and also stated how public perception is being shaped towards the financial crisis that the country is facing.
In a presentation at an advocacy training for news editors and reporters in Accra on October 31, he said the media, plays an important role in setting agenda for the public to receive information though the information might however be genuine or distorted.
He urged that the media to continually expose corrupt practices in government, scrutinise and hype reports of the Auditor General concerning SDRs and take advantage of the Right to Information law to access information on the distribution and use of the SDRs would hold government accountable for the utilization of the SDRs.
Mr. Iddi suggested that training for media professionals such as the advocacy training organised by Caritas Ghana on financial reporting should be encouraged.
He urged the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Ghana and the RTI Commission to make information regarding SDRs flow freely to the media.
He advised that though the country is facing an economic crisis, the media should “project Ghana’s image positi