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GJA receives donations for two new award categories

By Eric Appah Marfo, GNA

Accra, Nov. 12,
GNA — The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Tuesday received cash
donations to award individuals and media organisations in two new categories,
at its 24th Awards Night, which will climax its 70th Anniversary.

The family of
the Reverend Dr G.T. Anim, the first Ghanaian General Manager of the Ghana News
Agency, offered GH¢ 9,000 to reward Ethical Journalism; while AO Alliance, with
the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, gave $10,000 to honour the
devotion to reporting the Plight of Injured Children.

Dr Koryoe
Anim-Wright, the daughter of Rev. Dr Anim, who made the presentation, said when
their father turned 90 in May this year, the family decided to set up an award
category to honour him as an individual, his work and the

Journalism
profession.

The Category
would be named the “Dr G.T. Anim Award for Ethical Journalism.”

She said even
in the era of modern journalism where many journalists wrote on biased bases
and political lines, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) still maintained its vision to
disseminate truthful, unbiased information.

Dr Anim-Wright
explained that because of their father’s role in the Agency, they deemed it fit
that the maiden award would go to a long serving journalist at GNA who embodied
the qualities of truth and unbiased reporting.

In subsequent
years, the awards could also go to other media houses.

For his part,
Dr Wilfred Labi Addo, the Representative of AO Alliance (English speaking
Africa), said the $10,000 would serve as seed money for awards for; the “Best
Radio”, “Best Television” and “Best Print” media houses, which had championed
the awareness on injuries in children so that politicians and other
stakeholders would take the necessary steps to salvage the situation.

He said
children were the most affected when it came to injuries because they did not create
any income and so were heavily dependent on their families.

“In our
culture, when children get into trouble, it’s only when we have the spare coins
that we consider what to do with them. Children receive the least attention
whenever they run into trouble,” he said.

Statistics, he
said, showed that 50 per cent of citizens were under 20 years and that 20 per
cent of all injuries, as well as 25 per cent of all fatalities that resulted
from injuries affected children.

Dr Addo said
due to these major problems faced in Africa, the Organisation decided to
partner with the College of Physicians and Surgeons to set up and fund a
project called the “Paediatric Fracture Solutions for Africa” to highlight the
need to project the problems children faced when they got injured.

He said due to
the mandate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons to train surgeons,
physicians and other allied staff to take care of patients, it was appropriate
to allow the College manage the project.

The Alliance
was established to provide resources to train and equip institutions in
managing injured people, especially children.

Mrs Linda
Asante Agyei, the Vice President; and Ms Mary Mensah, Public Affairs Officer,
of the GJA, who respectively received the donations, lauded the partners for
their goodwill and support towards media development and professionalism and a
better society.

The Awards
ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 23.

GNA

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