The media is one of the most important institutions in every country that educate, inform and relay information to the general public, however, some journalists do arm-chair journalism that jeopardizes the credibility of the institution.
To have in-depth knowledge of the Rainforest Alliance Certification and its activities, two days capacity workshop with the theme “Ensuring People and Nature Thrive in Harmony” has been organized for the agricultural journalists in Accra.
At the workshop, journalists were urged to critically examine facts when discharging duties especially on Rainforest Alliance Certification and activities to farmers.
Agriculture is a noble and skillful sector, however, working with the sector needs comprehensive knowledge and understanding for good and efficient output.
“Any time the media is reporting on Rainforest Alliance Certification programs, it will actually be something the media should understand; the way the schemes work, the requirements that the farmers need to follow, the benefits farmers gain for joining the scheme”, Mr. Joseph Yaw Mensah, the Senior Associate Training and Certification of Rainforest Alliance said.
He acknowledged the tedious work the media is performing for the country, yet there are some technicalities in the agriculture sector especially, certifications that the media need to have in-depth knowledge when reporting on them.
He mentioned that Rainforest Alliance has customer services that are ready to respond to every question and clarification that any media house needs in the discharge of its duties.
Reuben Nana Yaw, the National Coordinator of Ghana Agriculture and Rural Development Journalists Association (GARDJA) commended the Rainforest Alliance for such a workshop to educate the journalists on expectations from the media as certitude reportage is a concern.
He entreated the organizations to avail themselves of the media houses for clarification on typical issues. Some of the organizations or institutions become adamant to provide research clarifications, therefore, making the report vague.
He called on other institutions and organizations to follow suit to train the journalists to abreast them on the current technical advancement of their institutions or organization.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forest to make responsible business the new normal. The organization is all about changing the way the world produces, sources, and consumes.
The core interventions of the Rainforest Alliance are Landscapes and Communities, Reimagining Certification. The supporting interventions are Advocacy and Tailored supply chain services.
