DAILY GRAPHIC, Saturday, May 19, 2012, Centre spread Pg. 17. GJA names 2011 awards committee

Story: Mary Ankrah

THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has received 434 entries and nominations for this year’s GJA Awards slated for the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra on August 25, 2012.
The figure shows an increase of 184 entries over last year’s, a number which is unprecedented in the history of the GJA Awards.

Out of the 434 entries, 43 will be selected for various awards, including the journalist of the year and the most promising young journalist.


Some members of the committee during the inauguration ceremony in Accra



An 11-member committee has been inaugurated to examine and assess the entries received this year.
The committee members are Mr Edward Ameyibor and Ms Ajoa Yeboa-Afari, two former presidents of the GJA; Ms Roberta Gardiner, the Head of Training of Ghana Television; Mr Ato Amoaning-Annan, the acting Dean of Journalism and Communication at the African University College of Communications, and Nanabanyin Pratt, the Dean of the GIMPA Public Service School.



The rest are Ms Cornelia Amoah, a former News Editor of TV Africa; Mr Enimil Ashong, a former Editor of the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator; Mr George Adjei, a former Editor-in-Chief of Ghana Television; Ms Diana Heymann-Adu, a senior lecturer in Journalism at the Ghana Institute of Journalism; Mr George Bosompim, the Manager of Production Services at the GAMA Film Company Limited, and Mr Ken Bediako, a veteran sports journalist.

Inaugurating the committee yesterday, the President of the GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, said the inauguration was part of the transparency process, as well as an opportunity to show to the public the entries received.

He dismissed the notion held by a section of the public that the media would compromise their critical instinct because of the support the association received from friends and well-wishers for the organisation of the awards.

“The media houses and the award winners do not directly go about soliciting for support and are, therefore, not obliged to compromise their critical role for the sake of winning awards. The committee is an independent body,” he said.



Mr Tetteh observed that the awards would help motivate Ghanaian journalists and the media to aspire to higher standards and professionalism.

He urged Ghanaians and all stakeholders to be supportive in promoting media excellence because a “free society with a free independent and responsible media will engender development and economic growth”.



The GJA Awards has become a regular feature of activities of the association since August 14, 1949.
At this year’s event, journalists will be rewarded in areas including investigative reporting, social security (individual and media institution), anti-corruption, agriculture, HIV & AIDS, human rights, as well as crime and court reporting.