President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfuor, has announced that the association will undertake a nationwide tour to assess communities and sites affected by illegal mining. The exercise would involve veteran and experienced journalists who would independently examine the impact of illegal mining and engage affected communities and other key stakeholders. “We will take the conversation to the ground. I will lead a team of veteran and experienced journalists on a nationwide tour of communities and sites affected by illegal mining. We will go into the field to see the situation ourselves,” he said at a national mining dialogue in Accra. Mr Dwumfuor said the team would visit affected communities and mining sites and engage residents, miners, farmers, traditional leaders, regulators and other relevant stakeholders to deepen public understanding of the crisis. “We will examine the conditions of previous attacks. We will speak to the affected communities. We will engage miners, farmers, traditional leaders, regulators, and other relevant stakeholders,” he said. Mr Dwumfuor said the initiative would enable journalists to assess conditions on the ground rather than rely solely on reports and claims about illegal mining. He said the exercise would be conducted independently of the Government, with the GJA working with development partners, experts and other relevant stakeholders considered necessary to ensure a comprehensive assessment. The GJA President said the initiative formed part of the media’s responsibility to provide accurate, balanced and evidence-based reporting on the country’s mining sector. He said journalists had a responsibility to investigate illegal mining networks and give affected communities a voice, while reporting fairly on interventions and mining companies that were meeting their obligations. Mr Dwumfuor stressed the importance of specialised knowledge in mining journalism, saying journalists could not effectively report on an industry they did not understand. He said the GJA would continue to promote specialised training for journalists covering mining, environmental issues, finance and regulation, alongside stronger fact-checking, investigative reporting and responsible use of data. Mr Dwumfuor said the media must remain independent while scrutinising government policies, mining companies and regulators. He said the nationwide tour would contribute to a more informed national conversation on illegal mining and the responsible exploitation of Ghana’s mineral resources.