By Seli Baisie
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has trained 26 journalists from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to strengthen climate change reporting across television, radio and digital platforms.
The one-day capacity-building workshop, held on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, aimed to equip GBC staff with the skills to communicate climate issues more effectively and drive behavioural change.
The training focused on simplifying complex climate science, promoting accurate reporting, and encouraging solution-based storytelling tailored for diverse audiences across GBC’s platforms.
Speaking during the workshop, Dr Emmanuel Tachie-Obeng, Acting Director of the Climate Change and Ozone Department at the EPA, urged journalists to move away from overly technical language and instead make climate stories relatable to everyday people.
He emphasised that effective climate communication should be clear, factual, and grounded in real-life experiences.
“Tell human-centred stories. Let people see how climate change affects farmers, communities, and livelihoods. Avoid exaggeration, but do not ignore the facts,” he said.
Dr Tachie-Obeng also cautioned against fear-based reporting, encouraging journalists to balance challenges with practical solutions that empower audiences to act.
Participants were taken through the science behind climate change, including the greenhouse effect, causes such as deforestation and fossil fuel use, and the impact of rising temperatures on rainfall patterns, agriculture, and water resources.
Facilitators used local examples to demonstrate how climate change is already affecting Ghana, including shifting rainfall patterns, drying water bodies, and rising temperatures.
Journalists were also encouraged to use local languages and culturally relevant storytelling techniques to enhance audience understanding and engagement, particularly across GBC’s nationwide broadcast and digital platforms.
The workshop further stressed the importance of verifying information, avoiding misinformation, and maintaining ethical standards in climate reporting.
Through group discussions and practical exercises, participants explored ways to translate scientific data into compelling stories for television, radio and online audiences.
The EPA said the training forms part of broader efforts to strengthen collaboration between the media, scientists and policymakers, while ensuring that climate communication leads to awareness and meaningful action.
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Source:
www.gbcghanaonline.com