Media houses advised to keep assignment books
2/22/2012 5:00:09 PM -
Kumasi, Feb. 22, GNA - Alhaji Haruna Atta, Editor of the Accra Mail, a private Newspaper, has stressed the need for media houses to keep assignment books to ensure professionalism.
He said the trend where journalists went for assignments based merely on hearing from other colleagues because of monetary considerations was unprofessional and dented the image of the media in the public's eye.
Alhaji Atta, who is a also a Board member of the Ghana News Agency, was speaking at a training workshop organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in Kumasi.
He advised Editors to ensure that reporters adhered to the dictates of the profession and the rules of the respective media houses.
He explained that the use of the assignments books were not only important in media houses for professionalism but also served as a guide and regulator for all reporters to ensure discipline, accountability and professionalism.
Alhaji Haruna Atta noted that in the absence of an assignment book at any given media organisation, reporters there tended to have their way and in many instances breached the conduct and ethics of the profession which, he said, was a bad practice media owners must guard against.
Nana Oye Lithur, a Human Rights Activist and a member of the NCCE, said the media played a critical role in the socio-economic development of society and therefore the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) must be assertive and ensure that the right thing was done to ensure professionalism.
She said the GJA must ensure that media houses adhered to the rules and ethics of the profession.
She urged media organisations to provide journalists with all the logistics they needed to facilitate their work.
Nana Oye Lithur advised journalists to build their capacities to meet the demands of educating the public to make informed choices, especially in this election year.
She expressed the hope that journalists would be more professional in the discharge of their duties this year to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election.
GNA
