BoG Launches Economic Journalism Award, Deepens Media Engagement

 

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has launched the Governor’s Economic and Financial Story of the Year Award, underscoring its push to strengthen economic and financial journalism as a pillar of effective policy communication.

The award, announced at the inaugural Governor’s New Year Media Engagement in Accra on January 16, 2026, will recognise excellence in factual, insightful and responsible economic reporting, with the winner earning a sponsored trip to the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings.

Second Deputy Governor Mrs. Matilda Asante-Asiedu said the initiative reflects the central bank’s recognition that sound policy outcomes depend as much on communication as on technical design.

“Here at the Bank of Ghana, we have a responsibility for monetary policy, but when it comes to communicating the outcomes of that policy, the tenets of that policy, we cannot do it alone. We need you, the media, to be able to do that,” she told journalists.

She stressed that poorly communicated policies risk failure, regardless of their technical strength, noting that the media plays a decisive role in shaping public understanding, confidence and market behaviour.

The New Year engagement, the first of its kind, is intended to deepen trust between the central bank and the media, strengthen professional collaboration and improve the quality of economic narratives in the public space. According to Mrs. Asante-Asiedu, BoG’s approach is anchored on partnership, transparency and sustained engagement rather than interference with editorial independence.

“Our doors remain open—not to interfere with editorial independence but to support accuracy, provide clarity where needed, and ensure economic narratives are grounded in proper context,” she said.

She added that both central bankers and journalists wield powerful tools—policy instruments on one hand, headlines and microphones on the other that can either stabilise or unsettle the economy if used irresponsibly.

“When clarity prevails, confidence follows. And when confidence is sustained, markets and households benefit,” she noted.

The award scheme will run through 2026 and forms part of the Bank of Ghana’s broader effort to improve economic literacy, enhance policy credibility and foster a more informed national conversation around monetary policy and the broader economy.