Withstand all forms of manipulation - World Bank's Director of CommunicationDIRECTOR of Communications in charge of the World Bank’s Africa Region, Mr Peter Stevens, has challenged media practitioners in Ghana to withstand all forms of manipulation by both government and corporate institutions.

DIRECTOR of Communications in charge of the World Bank’s Africa Region, Mr Peter Stevens, has challenged media practitioners in Ghana to withstand all forms of manipulation by both government and corporate institutions.
He observed that government and corporate institutions throughout the world had intensified their machination of media practitioners as they both seek ways of hiding some aspects of their improper conducts from becoming public.
Mr Steven made the remarks at a video conference from Wasghinton to journalists in Accra during the opening ceremony of  a 10-day training course for journalists in finance and economic reporting.
The course, which is the first in the series, is organised by El de D Consult, a consultancy firm in Accra and sponsored by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited with support from the World Bank.
According to him, "the manipulation of the journalist has never been done with greater effect as it is currently happening," adding that the practice was not limited to one country but a phenomenon carried out everywhere.
"This manipulation process is not limited only to the USA or UK, it happens evereywhere," he said and thus urged journalist to "keep yourselves above this process and never be part of it".
Mr Stevens was also optimistic that the course in Economic and Finance would help equip the participants to be able to effectively report on issues of finance and economics.
A deputy Minister at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Seth Tepker, who was the guest speaker at the ceremony, called on media practitioners to give more prominence to economic and finance issues.
He said the World Bank had confirmed that the country's economy was going to witness one of the highest growth in Sub-Sahara Africa of over 13 per cent, an issue the deputy Minster said has been "overshadowed by partisan political discussions on our radio and television stations.
"I admit that political discussions do deepen democracy through grassroots participation but economic and financial issues if well discussed will ultimately put bread and butter on the table," Mr Tepker said.
 He thus commended the organisers, El de D Consult, Newmont Ghana and the World Bank for partnering one another on such a noble course.
El de D Consult, the course organisers were optimistic that the 'Finance and Economic Clinic', as it is being refered would help compliment past efforts towards getting media practitioners well positioned to tackling the growing number of economic and finance issues making the headlines in the country.