The 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which will take place from 20 November to 18 December, is fast approaching. Therefore, Betway Ghana partnered with Media General (MG) to share best practices with Ghanaian journalists. On this occasion, some long-time sports journalists shared their experiences in the coverage of global events.
These included the President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Kwabena Yeboah, and the Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum. Furthermore, Michael Oti Adjei, Godfred Akoto Boafo and Ibrahim Saani Daara contributed to the event. Also, the journalists who attended the forum debated best practices and new technologies.
Facts, accuracy, and discretion constitute the be-all and end-all
Yeboah appealed for the seriousness in all areas of reporting: “If you compromise your integrity as a journalist, you are screwed. Facts and accuracy play a crucial role. Therefore, I constantly emphasized that facts are sacrosanct. Moreover, it is essential to show discretion in reporting.” Regarding the cooperation between the GFA and journalists that will be involved in this year’s World Cup, Asante Twum pointed out that “journalists without accreditation won’t be allowed access to the teams’ hotels during this year’s World Cup.”
Football represents a fraction of the World Cup
Godfred Akoto Boafo, a recognized digital media expert, advised the journalists who work online to prepare for the “keyword map out”. He said this would ensure that their work gets noticed. Plus, it would enable them to stand out from the myriad of colleagues who do the same. Michael Oti Adjei, who works for the organizers of the event, added: “People who want to stand out when covering the tournament should always keep in mind that football constitutes only a fraction of the story.”
Moreover, Ibrahim Sannie Daara underlined that journalists only count as truly qualified if they can write adequately. “If you cannot write appropriately, you can’t be a good journalist. Whoever can’t write appropriately should exclude themselves.”
