Journalists urged to report elections accurately

Accra, Dec.01 GNA - Ms Adjoa Yeboah-Afari, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), on Tuesday reminded Journalists that their professionalism was on the line as the world was watching how they covered Election 2004.

She said: "Let us all aim to report accurately and to cut our headlines according to the fabric of the story.

"There should be no-skirt-and blouse", she told the Journalists. Ms Yeboah-Afari, who was briefing Editors on preparations made by the GJA to facilitate the work of the media in the coverage of the December 2004 Elections, said: "We are putting in place a number of facilities that should make the Press Centre both a reliable resource centre as well as a certified relay centre for the media." With support from the Electoral Commission (EC), there would be a direct communication link between the Press Centre and the EC from December 7 until all results are declared.

Under the arrangement, certified results would be released as speedily as possible to a GJA representative at the EC, who would in turn transmit them to the Centre while results of both the Presidential and Parliamentary would be posted on special boards at the GJA headquarters.

Ms Yeboah-Afari said the sponsors of the programme, FES, would provide a number of booths for radio stations to broadcast from, while makeshift televisions studios would be installed at the Press Centre. The GJA was also in touch with the Ghana Telecom to provide pay phones for Journalists, who might send their reports on the phone.