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About 30 media practitioners, drawn from the print and electronic media in the Ashanti Region, have been tutored in economic and financial reporting at the second of a series of workshops organised by the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB). The day�s workshop was to sensitise journalists to do thorough research in presenting financial reports. Mr. John Awuah, Chief Finance Officer of GCB, who opened the workshop, stressed the need for the country�s media practitioners to play an active role in educating Ghanaians on the economic and financial situation of the country, to enable them make informed decisions. Mr. Awuah said business and financial journalists need to enhance their understanding of the issues, to better analyze and interpret current economic trends, especially, at a time the financial sector is experiencing major changes, in the face of emerging new trends, which are bound to shape the financial services landscape. He said the banking sector is also becoming more sophisticated, as banks introduce new risk management products to help their customers� manage risks they are exposed to in a more prudent and sustainable fashion. �We should aim at targeting our financial reporting to suit the different needs of our vast audience without losing touch or misrepresenting the key elements of the issues we report on,� he said, and urged the media to serve as the link in attracting export and export financing to Ghana and the West African sub-region, through their reportage and analysis. Mr. Awuah reminded the media of their duty to endeavour to attract financing for the export sector, by delving into the challenges and opportunities inherent in the sector, for the benefit of the nation. He indicated that Ghana and the Ashanti Region are endowed with cocoa, timber, natural and other resources, talent, rich culture and tradition, as well as a booming artisan industry. These, he noted, make Kumasi the centre of trade in Ghana and the sub-region, and that discoveries and research reports of media practitioners can open up investment and export opportunities for the country. GCB�s Chief Finance Officer indicated that the media played a key role in this success story of the major transformation the bank underwent over the years, hence the need to assist media practitioners with appropriate skills to raise the performance of the business and financial sector of the economy. He described the GCB-sponsored training programme as timely and well-placed, coming at a time when the focus is on the national economy and recent developments in the financial services sector. Dr. Messan Mawugbe, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Media Analysis (CMA), who was the Resource Person at the workshop, called on financial journalists to make effective use of financial analysts, to give greater credibility to their reports. He encouraged journalists to generate and develop their own business stories, instead of following events. Nana Otuo Acheampong, Banking Consultant and Executive Head of the College of Banking and Management, said with the advent of the internet and Information Communications Technology (ICT), journalists could enhance their reportage, and urged media practitioners to set high standards for themselves, as well as equip themselves with the requisite skills to meet the needs of their target audience.