The Northern Region branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has formally launched the 2022 Regional GJA Awards Scheme in Tamale.
The awards committee will start receiving entries from Friday September 23 to October 10, 2022 for the second edition of the GJA awards.
The awards scheme covers all practicing journalists reporting from the Northern, Savannah and North East Regions.
Nine categories in all would be opened for nominations which are: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education, Health, Tourism and Culture, Disability, Rural reporting, Agriculture, Road Safety, Peace and Conflicts sensitive reporting and the Regional Journalist of the year position
The GJA Northern Region Chairman, Mr. Yakubu Abdul Majeed at the launch on Tuesday, September 20, said the theme for this year’s event: “Promoting Tourism and Culture to Create Jobs: The Role of the Media” is part of efforts by the leadership to promote high journalism standards in the three Northern regions.
“It also forms part of our deliberate and cautious efforts to highlight our true culture as a people and the tourism sites in the area. In fact, there are numerous sites across the length and breadth of the area, but probably these have not been marketed very well to the world, the domestic tourism and diverse cultures included. We believe that, given the needed attention and exposure, these could lead to increase patronage of the tourism sites which would go a long way to creating the needed jobs for the teaming unemployed youth here” he emphasized.
The Chairman stated the leadership of the GJA in the region would leave no stone unturned in promoting responsible journalism in the area.
He added the GJA leadership is soliciting support and partnership from stakeholders to build the capacity of media practitioners in the region.
Litigation
Mr. Abdul Majeed has also said the GJA leadership is working to implore the services of a lawyer who will always represent Journalists in court who will unavoidably find themselves at the wrong side of the law whilst in their line of duty.
However, he indicated, “We will not come to the aid of any member who deliberately or consciously injure the hard won reputation of others.”
The GJA Public Affairs Officer, Madam Rebecca Ekpe on behalf of the President, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour commended Executives of the Northern Region Branch for the initiative.
“The GJA President sends his compliments to the executives for the good job you’re doing in the region and for holding journalism in the pedestal that we need it to be because we do know that without journalism and without the media nothing exist.”
Meanwhile, Ms Ekpe used the platform to urge Journalists to hold the country together in this period of external and internal security threats and the economic difficulties.
“There is two prompt threats – the externally which is what is happening around us and then economically in our country there’s a lot of agitation which we all know that; the responsibility is on us as Journalists to hold together no matter what is happening, it’s our country” she stated.
For his part, the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu entreated the media to adhere to the specified code of ethics and best practices in their line of duty.
Notwithstanding the admonishment, the Minister commended the media for its outstanding role in bringing peace to the region but was also quick to challenge all Journalists to live up to theme for this year’s awards.
