* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Good governance of oil, gas and mining (extractive) resources and revenues requires effective oversight. A knowledgeable and active media is critical to having an informed and engaged public, civil society and parliament that can hold government to account. However, in many resource-rich countries, journalists often lack knowledge and skills in investigating extractives-related issues. Many also face challenges due to a lack of resources for investigative journalism and payment by concerned parties to write on a particular subject that undermine the independence of the reports.
In an attempt to tackle those challenges, Revenue Watch Institute’s (RWI) teamed up with TRF's experienced trainers in a project called Strengthening Media Oversight of the Extractive Sectors, aiming to create a three-year media capacity-building program in Africa (focusing specifically on Ghana and Uganda) that more holistically and intensively supports participating journalists over the long term.
The ultimate goal of this program is to achieve effective and consistent coverage by the media of extractive resources and revenues, contributing to their improved use for the public good in Africa. Please click here to meet our third year group, the new intake of journalists currently enrolled in the programme:
http://www.revenuewatch.org/
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
