On Saturday, 13th July 2025, the AFRIMASS Newsroom Business Initiative Program held another impactful session of its ongoing cohort series with over 50 participants virtually via Convay video conferencing platform. The session featured Francisca Kakra Forson (Esq.), a renowned lawyer, journalist, and lead strategist at Platinum PR as the guest facilitator on the theme “Sustainable Journalism and Career Pathways.”
In her delivery, Lawyer Francisca emphasized that journalism should be driven by purpose, not popularity. “If you’re in it for fame or money, then you need to rethink whether you’re in the right profession,” she firmly stated.
She explained that sustainable journalism is rooted in the principles of sustainable development, serving the present without compromising future generations. According to her, journalism must serve as a tool for national transformation, holding power to account and telling stories that create impact.
Touching on threats to journalism, she mentioned state capture, declining revenues, clickbait culture, and censorship, calling for a fair balance between profit-making and quality journalism. She also urged journalists to practice informed communication, noting that “relevance and factual accuracy” are what distinguish credible journalism today.
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Citing the example of journalist Erastus Asare Donkor’sreporting on illegal mining, she praised in-depth storytelling that goes beyond surface narratives. She described good journalism as being like ‘scuba diving gear’ designed for depth, clarity, and purpose.
She also acknowledged the rise of AI in journalism, highlighting its benefits in writing, editing, and language translation, while warning of risks such as misinformation and impersonation.
Lawyer Francisca concluded by encouraging participants to explore diverse career paths including content creation, public relations, and journalism, but always with ethics and impact at the core.
About NBI Fellowship for Young Journalists, a Flagship Initiative of the AfriMass Network.
The NBI Fellowship for Young Journalists is a transformative flagship program under the Newsroom Business Initiative by AfriMass Network. It is designed to nurture a new generation of ethical, digitally fluent storytellers in Ghana and beyond.
This initiative bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world newsroom practice, offering participants practical training, mentorship, and exposure to industry-leading tools and perspectives. Through expert-led sessions and collaborative activities, fellows are introduced to the foundational principles of journalism, career sustainability, production techniques, and the integration of digital and AI tools in media work.
By leveraging strategic partnerships with top media houses and guided industry visits, the fellowship empowers young journalists to uphold professional standards, adapt to evolving technologies, and contribute meaningfully to public discourse and media development across Africa.
Fellows graduate not just with enhanced skills, but with a renewed sense of purpose, a strong professional network, and a clear pathway to impact-driven journalism.
Article by Pamela Abisha- AfriMass Network
