By
Justina Paaga/ Erica Appeatu Addo, GNA
Takoradi (W/R), Nov. 12, GNA – The Western
Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) over the weekend
honoured deserving members and media houses who excelled in line of their duty
at the Best Western Plus Atlantic hotel in Takoradi.
The maiden event was to recognise excellence
in journalism in the region. It was on the theme: “Redefining corporate social
responsibility; Moving from handout to legacy projects, the role of the
gatekeeper”.
This year, eleven journalists out of the
eighteen applications received by the award committee were penciled for awards
in various categories.
Mr Theophilus Kwesi Agyei Annim of Citi
Television was crowned the overall best journalist of the year 2019 for
demonstrating commitment to work, high sense of professionalism, accuracy in
reporting and delivery, upholding ethics of the profession and vocal in
championing journalist’s welfare.
Ms Erica Apeatua Addo of the Ghana News
Agency (GNA) won the best journalist in court reporting for her dedication and
competency, while Mr Alfred K. Adams of the Chronicle newspaper had the best in
political reporting.
Ms Ina Thalia Quansah of Radio Maxx in
Takoradi, who also reports for the Multimedia Group picked up best in general
news reporting and best rural reporter.
She again won the most promising young
journalist for playing key role in making the Takoradi girls kidnapping a
national issue, vocal in pursuing gender issues, commitment to work, daring to
go beyond boundaries, taking up challenges and upholding the ethics of journalism.
Other award winners were;Mrs Nana Adwoa
Entsuah of Empire FM, best in health reporting, best in education reporting
went to Madam Marie Aziz Tunde of Twin City Radio with her story on sex
education and Mr Kojo Fletcher crowned the best in responsible mining with his
story, “Starving the goose that lay the golden eggs.”
Mr Eric Yaw Adjei received the best in
environmental reporting for his story on Plastic waste, best in illegal mining
reporting went to Mr Charles Egyir of UTV for the story, “Galamsey operators
back in the Western Region” and Ms Benedicta Esi Brew Monney of Space FM won
the best female journalist of the year.
Some honorary awards were presented to Skyy
Power, Twin City Radio, Connect FM, Radio Shama, Radio Ahanta, Nhyiraba Paa
Kwesi Simpson had the radio personality of the year, Daniel Kaku, an online
journalist and Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Richard Appiah in charge of
the Western Regional Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) for his
dedication to duty.
The occasion was graced by the chairman of
the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Mr Sulemana Koney,
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Roland Affail
Monney, National GJA President, Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere
Darko-Mensah, management of Gold Fields Ghana Limited Tarkwa and Damang mines,
Ghana Manganese Company Limited, Ghana National Gas Company, regional GJA
executives, journalist and the public.
Addressing the attendees, the guest speaker,
Mr. Koney said the Western Region was highly endowed compared to its peers, but
that endowment must begin to reflect in the people’s reality.
He tasked journalists to participate in
public hearings organised by the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) to fine
out the needs of the people prior to the commencement of operation of an
extractive company as well as town hall meetings planned by mining firms and
the host communities to discuss the establishment of foundations and trust
funds.
According to Mr Koney, vehicles run social
investments in most mining communities; hence the need to make their voices
count in this regard.
He implored Journalists to position
themselves to be part of the discourse on the determination of appropriate
initiatives that could bring real change in the lives of their people.
The chairman for the occasion Mr
Boadu-Ayeboafoh applauded the recognition given to retired journalists who
served in the Western Region at the awards ceremony and the decision to use
outsiders to technically measure the standard of journalism practice to select
the award winners.
He quizzed how practical it would be to
adopt that as a complement to the awards ceremonies of the association because
most of the time, professionals were in charge of those professional awards.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh said ” if we engage
outsiders, they may do more objective analysis of some of the things that we do
and so even if we will not totally leave it in the hands of outsiders, at least
we must bring in some other professional groups to support and complement the
efforts of the journalists, so that we combine some professionalism with some
technical understanding and academic influence in the way that we go about
doing the things that we want to do.”
The Western Regional Minister congratulated
all the award winners and reminded them to maintain professionalism in their
work as they had enormous responsibility to the citizens of Ghana.
The National GJA President Mr Affail Monkey,
commended the regional executives for instituting a welfare package for retired
journalists to enable them have reliable and accessible quality healthcare.
Dr Moses Maclean Abnory, the Registrar of
Takoradi Technical University, who chaired the five-member committee to
consider deserving members who put in entries for the regional awards
recommended to GJA to organize intermittent workshops on modern trends and
effective ways of reporting on various fields of journalism.
He said journalists must be professional in
their line of duty, ready to take challenges and go the extra mile in making
the society better, go behind the speeches and presentation at programmes and
workshops and rather generate new ideas for investigations, adding that, these
would help improve upon the work of journalists in the region and the country as
a whole.
GNA
