It began quietly enough—a room in Koforidua, the capital of Ghana’s Eastern Region, filled with notebooks, lukewarm cups of coffee, and the focused hum of thirty journalists. But the assignment before them was anything but ordinary. For three days, these men and women—serving as the Bank of Ghana’s dedicated press corps—would trade the adrenaline of breaking news for the careful, deliberate craft of understanding monetary policy. The workshop, which opened on Monday, October 19, 2026, and runs through Wednesday, October 21, is designed to do more than refresh reporting skills. It is an institutional attempt to shore up the very foundations of financial journalism in Ghana. The central bank has made no secret of its concern: misinformation and disinformation are not abstract threats, but real forces that can erode public confidence, trigger panic, and destabilize the economy. In this environment, a journalist who can accurately explain a policy decision is doing more than informing; they are helping to protect the fragile trust that underpins an entire financial system. The training is therefore about precision, ethics, and context—ensuring that the reporters who cover the bank understand not only what decisions are made, but why they are made, and how they will be felt by ordinary people, from a pensioner in Accra to a trader at Makola Market. Monetary policy can seem remote, but its consequences are personal: it influences the cost of borrowing for a small business, the value of the cedi in someone’s pocket, and the confidence families have in their banks. A rise in the policy rate can delay a farmer’s plan to buy equipment; a shift in the exchange rate can alter the price of imported food for a family in Kumasi. With that awareness at the center of the training, the journalists are not just trying to understand charts and interest rates—they are learning to see monetary policy through the lives of the people who trust them for the news. It is no small task, and the quiet intensity in the room suggests they know it. Choosing Koforidua for the session also sends a message: this conversation belongs beyond the capital, and the journalism it hopes to improve must serve every region of Ghana.
The timing of the workshop is telling. Around the world, central banks are grappling with a new reality: information—true or false—travels faster than ever. Bernard Otabil, the Bank of Ghana’s Director of Communications, put it plainly in his opening remarks. The rapid spread of information through digital platforms, alongside the growing use of artificial intelligence, had created new risks for financial and economic reporting. “From deepfakes to AI-generated market rumours, from social media amplification to coordinated disinformation campaigns targeting currencies, no central bank and no country is immune,” he said. These are not hypothetical threats. A manipulated video of a central bank governor could be circulated within minutes, and before anyone has confirmed it is fake, the rumour may have already influenced trading decisions. A false social media post about bank failures could spark a run on deposits before officials can respond. A deliberately distorted interpretation of an interest rate decision can shift exchange rates, influence investor behavior, and sow confusion among households. For Ghana, a country with an ambitious financial inclusion agenda and a vibrant digital ecosystem, the danger is real. Journalists are the first line of defense—if they can recognize misinformation, verify facts, and report with rigor, they can help slow the spread of damaging falsehoods. But if they themselves are uncertain about what a policy means, they risk becoming channels for confusion. The workshop, therefore, is not only about improving reporting quality; it is about building resilience in the broader information environment. It acknowledges that in an age of algorithms and artificial intelligence, the old discipline of checking sources and seeking context is more necessary than ever. This is why the sessions cover both technical content and media ethics, and why the central bank is investing time in nurturing a relationship with journalists rather than simply sending out press releases. The trust between policymakers and the press must be earned and maintained, not assumed. For the journalists present, the warning is also personal: their own credibility is on the line every time they share a claim or repeat an official statement.
The curriculum reflects a careful understanding of what financial reporters actually need. It is not a crash course in economics for bored outsiders; it is a practical toolkit for people who must interpret complex institutional language every day. Participants are being introduced to monetary policy frameworks, financial regulation, and the structures of the banking sector. They are learning about the Bank of Ghana’s regulatory mandate and its balance sheet—terms that can feel opaque, but that in reality reveal where trust is placed and how risk is managed. There are also sessions devoted to the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, an initiative designed to strengthen reserves and support the local gold market, and to foreign exchange market trends, an area that captures the attention of anyone who follows the value of the cedi. Perhaps most importantly, the journalists are examining how to interpret Monetary Policy Committee statements and submissions. This is the language of decisions: a repo rate change, a liquidity adjustment, a forward-looking comment about inflation. In the past, such statements were often treated as fixed texts to be reproduced verbatim, with little attempt to explain their broader meaning. The training aims to change that. It encourages journalists to ask what a policy move means for consumers with loans, for family budgets, for business owners planning their next investment. It also emphasizes the need to verify claims, avoid sensationalism, and remember that behind every statistic is a human consequence. By taking journalists through the bank’s decision-making processes, the workshop tries to remove some of the mystery around monetary policy and replace it with clarity. At its heart, the training is about translation—helping reporters convert technical language into stories that resonate with people who will never read a central bank report but who will be affected by it. The result should be reporting that is not only more accurate but more useful—stories that help people understand not just that interest rates have risen or fallen, but how those changes will affect their savings, their borrowing, and their prospects. This is not an abstract exercise. It is an effort to ensure that no one is left behind in the conversation about the economy, and that the people who report on money and banking remain connected to the communities they serve.
Central to the training is a plea for credibility. Bernard Otabil used his welcome address to warn that false information could undermine public trust and threaten economic stability. He did not speak in abstract terms. He spoke about the real-world consequences of careless reporting and the weight that should sit on any journalist who writes about finance. “When you uphold ethical standards, you do more than fight a story. You anchor expectations, protect savings, safeguard economic stability, and help guide and shape informed choices,” he said. The message landed with the weight of someone who has seen how quickly confidence can evaporate. A central bank’s authority is built on credibility. Its power does not come from force, but from the public’s belief that its promises are credible—that the currency in one’s wallet will hold its value, and that financial institutions are sound. When reporting is careless or inaccurate, that belief erodes. It might be tempting to chase clicks with a dramatic headline or to tweet a rumor without verification. But for a financial journalist, the stakes are higher. A single inaccurate story can cause savers to withdraw their money, investors to flee, or households to make decisions based on false premises. Otabil’s warning is a reminder that press freedom carries responsibility. Journalists are not public relations officers for the central bank; they are watchdogs and witnesses. But their obligation is to truth, not to sensationalism. That means asking hard questions, holding power accountable, and also resisting the pull of misinformation. It means recognizing that in a developing economy, accurate financial reporting is a public good. It is one of the many quiet infrastructures that allow a society to function with confidence. When a journalist takes the time to understand a complex policy and then explains it with clarity, they are contributing to a more stable and more democratic economy. The workshop is not trying to make journalists compliant spokespersons; it is trying to make them more effective professionals, equipped to distinguish between an institutional message and a market reality, and to serve their audiences with honesty.
The Bank of Ghana is not positioning this workshop as a one-off event. Mr Otabil said the central bank would continue to strengthen its engagement with the media through expanded training programmes, regional press forums, editors’ forums, and dedicated communication platforms. This is a significant step. In many countries, the relationship between central banks and the press is transactional: press releases are issued, occasional queries are answered, and little more. Here, the bank is seeking a deeper partnership. It is willing to explain, listen, and be challenged. “I encourage you to participate fully, ask questions, and challenge us,” Otabil said. That is a meaningful invitation, especially for journalists who might otherwise feel distant from the institutions they cover. It suggests a recognition that financial journalism is not a spectator sport. The central bank will also continue to support the Governance, Economic and Financial Story of the Year Award, an initiative designed to promote quality journalism and reward those who approach complex topics with rigor. Such awards matter because they signal that thoughtful reporting is valued—not just by fellow journalists, but by the institutions that are often the subject of the news. Over time, these efforts could create a durable improvement in the quality of economic coverage in Ghana. Journalists who feel connected to policymakers and who have a solid grasp of the issues are more likely to spot inaccuracies in official statements, ask better follow-up questions, and explain difficult concepts to the public without distortion. The relationship being built in Koforidua is not about controlling the narrative; it is about ensuring that the narrative is built on a foundation of understanding. For the participants, it is also a chance to build relationships with one another—sharing tips, comparing notes, and learning how reporters in different outlets wrestle with the same questions. The regional focus of the training is equally important, because it underscores that financial reporting is not the privilege of Accra-based journalists; it is a craft that must be cultivated across the country.
At its core, the training aims to give journalists the knowledge and confidence to interpret central bank decisions accurately—and to explain those decisions in ways that make sense to businesses and households. When the next Monetary Policy Committee statement is released, these 30 journalists will not simply copy and paste. They will examine the language, look beneath the jargon, and consider what it means for the cost of credit, the pace of inflation, and the direction of the economy. They will know how to place the decision in the context of the bank’s mandate and balance sheet, and they will be better prepared to ask officials pointed questions. This is a quiet kind of capacity-building, but its effects can be profound. As Ghana continues to navigate global economic pressures, digital transformation, and the persistent challenges of building public trust in financial institutions, the quality of its financial journalism will be a crucial variable. An informed public is more resilient in times of uncertainty. A well-trained press corps is more immune to misinformation. A credible media environment helps anchor expectations and create the conditions for stable, inclusive growth. The workshop in Koforidua will end after three days, but its impact will be felt in the stories that are written, the radio programs that are broadcast, and the television discussions that follow economic developments. It will be felt in the decisions that citizens make with greater clarity, and in the confidence that remains intact even when markets move. If the Bank of Ghana’s investment in these 30 journalists succeeds, the result will be more than better headlines. It will be a stronger public conversation about the economy—one built on facts, responsibility, and a shared commitment to truth. The training may not grab global headlines, but its value will show whenever a citizen avoids a financial mistake because a reporter took the time to explain things properly, or whenever a false rumour fails to spread because a seasoned journalist demanded evidence before writing. In a world where economic anxiety can easily be exploited, that is a prize worth pursuing.