We Will Continue To Be Lead Sponsor Of GJA Awards … Says Ideal Financial Holdings
The Head of Corporate Communications and Strategy of Ideal Financial Holdings, Mr. Ekow Blankson, has given the strongest assurance that there will be no corporate entity with the capability to snatch the company’s position, as the lead sponsor of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards from his outfit.
“If the company presents a sponsorship package of one billion, we will challenge them with two billion,” he said, amidst thunderous applause. Speaking at a short ceremony in Accra to officially announce the sponsors and categories of this year’s GJA awards, Mr. Blankson emphasised that Ideal Financial Holdings was happy to be associated with the GJA, and that urged them to repeat what they did last year.
The Communications Director of the Catholic Bishop of Africa, Sir Benedict Assorow, who was the Chairman for the occasion, made a passionate appeal to journalists to do follow-ups on their publications to realise the motive behind the stories they churn out. He also asked them to be objective, honest and fair in their reportage, since that would deepen the confidence the public reposes in them.
The President of the GJA, Mr. Affail Monney, told the gathering that the GJA Awards were instituted to celebrate journalists who were attuned to the association’s objective of promoting high journalistic standards. He said: “The competition has not only been growing in size and stature. We are convinced that it has been helping to motivate journalists in Ghana, and indeed, the Ghanaian media to aspire to high standards and professionalism.”
According to him, the theme for the 2016 edition of the GJA Awards, which is “Media for Undisputed and Peaceful 2016 Election: the Support of Civil Society,” was thoughtfully chosen “in acknowledgement of the need for strong collaboration between the media and civil society, to promote a rational and credible coverage of the election.”
He added that circumspection and respect for ethics and standards by both professionals and non-professionals, “engaged in information dissemination is therefore required to spare Ghana both misinformation during coverage of the election.”
“We in the media do recognise that we cannot achieve that laudable goal without the support of civil society. We hope the theme will constantly remind all and sundry about the need to promote decent coverage of the election to help bring about credible and peaceful results,” Mr. Monney pointed out.
In order to encourage its members to appreciate specialisation, this year, the GJA has ruled out the submission of more than two categories by a contestant. It is also to “avoid the situation where there is the temptation to believe that the more awards a contestant wins makes that person the obvious choice for either Journalist of the Year or the Most Promising Young Journalist,” The GJA President clarified.
Throwing more light on the situation, Mr. Monney indicated: “That perception is untenable, since, in some instances, a journalist may have just one particular work or story earn him or her the topmost award, because of the journalistic ingredients displayed, including the impact it makes on development and the society.”
The public would play a major role in the selection of the Journalist of the Year and the Most Promising Young Journalist this year. The GJA President explained that the motive was due to the fact that the public are those the media serves, as he called on the them (the public) and media professionals to participate vigorously than they had done in the past.
“They only need to write to do this by writing the name of their choice in a few words, and sending it in a sealed envelope to the Chairperson of the GJA Awards Committee, before the closing date for the receipt of entries, which is Monday, 16th May 2016,” he stressed. The entries for the 21st Edition of the Ghana Journalists’ Association Awards have been put into five categories. The first category, separate for Radio, Television and Print, comprises News Reporting, Sports, Education and Features.
The second category would cater for both print and electronic media, and it consists of Investigative Reporting, Photojournalism, Arts/Entertainment & Domestic Tourism, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu Award for Business/Finance & Economic Reporting, Small & Micro Scale Enterprises (SMEs), Environment, Health (including HIV and AIDS), Development Journalism for Furthering the SDGs, Parliamentary Reporting, Human Rights (with focus on Child Protection), Political
(see story on page 15)
By Pascal Kafu Abotsi
(pascalkafu@yahoo.com)