Afful Urges Deeper Media Knowledge in Energy Reporting

  

Michel Creg Afful, Executive Director of Energy News Africa Limited, has underscored the need for journalists to deepen their understanding of the energy sector, especially in an era where social media and artificial intelligence are reshaping how information spreads. He made the remarks during a capacity-building workshop in Tema on the theme “Leveraging Social Media and AI for Accurate and Effective Energy Reporting: Trends, Tools and Best Practices.”
Afful explained that although similar trainings had been held in Accra, it became necessary to bring the initiative to Tema due to its strategic importance as home to major petroleum and power installations. Many journalists in the enclave, he noted, had not previously benefited from such specialized training.
He stressed that the rise of social media has drastically changed the news environment, enabling unverified information to spread quickly. According to him, equipping journalists with the right tools and technical understanding is essential to improving accuracy and reducing misinformation in energy reportage.
The workshop featured industry experts, including a former Chief Executive of the VRA and the current board chairman, who highlighted the importance of continuous learning. Afful said basic familiarity with concepts such as installed capacity, megawatts, and hydrocarbons enables journalists to confidently interpret and report on technical issues.
He also commended the Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery for progress made in recent months, describing the discussions from the workshop as insightful and refreshing.
Afful emphasized that energy is the lifeblood of every modern economy—powering hospitals, schools, agriculture, and industries—making it imperative for the media to take energy reporting seriously. The training was organized by Energy News Africa Limited in collaboration with the Tema Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association.
In his final message to the media, Afful urged practitioners to pursue specialization, stating that broad but shallow journalism limits access to key industry figures. He encouraged journalists to strengthen their knowledge in areas such as energy, governance, and finance, stressing that the era of sitting behind microphones and making uninformed statements must end.