Journalists have been tasked to use available data from the Ghana statistical service (GSS), to influence policies formulated by government.
The northern regional statistician, Mr. George Agbenyor emphasized the need for the media to break data down in their reports and avoid inaccuracies in census data reportage.
He urged the media to call on resource persons to interpret very difficult to understand census results in order to make their work easier.
He made this known during a media training on population issues held in Tamale and organized by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) .
The three day intensive training, took participants through population dynamics and communication, basic statistical methods and terminologies, advocacy on population issues among several topics.
In an interview with FiilaNews, the program analyst for population and development at UNFPA, Mr. Mutaru Goro Iddrisu, noted that population census are data that affects every aspect of the economy, hence the need to strengthen the media in that regard to broaden their scope.
Mr. Goro Iddrisu has thus tasked the beneficiary journalist to carve a nitch for themselves while sourcing data from the census database to get policy makers to act.
On his part, Mr Emmanuel George Ossei, the acting director, Regional Offices directorate, Ghana statistical service, has cautioned the media against data misrepresentation on population issues.
He noted that a media scan revealed the use of statistics but not to its fullest extent, hence the need for this all important training.
The participants expressed satisfaction and thanked UNFPA and GSS for the knowledge-packed training.
The beneficiary journalist were drawn from the Northern, upper East, upper west and Bono regions.
Source:Fiilafmonline/ShawanaYussif
