By Yaw Ansah, Eunice Hilda Ampomah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 28, GNA - Mr Bernard Koku Avle, a Broadcast Journalist of Citi FM, an Accra Based radio station, has been adjudged the Journalist of the Year 2017 at the 23rd Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards ceremony in Accra.
The Award was to honour him for his consistency in prioritising issues of development, both of the citizenry and the nation, in his programmes.
The ceremony awarded 36 journalists, media institutions and organisations under seven categories; Journalists, Media Firms, Honorary Awards, and Distinguished Citizenship.
It was on the theme: “State of Investigative Journalism; Boundaries of Privacy and Boarders of the Public Interest.”
According to the Seven-member Committee that were in charge of the shortlisting of the nominees, the awardees were selected based on balance, prospective impact of the story, accuracy, initiative, application of ethical standards and language presentation.
The Ghana News Agency was honoured as the Best Digital Media House of the Year, with four of its journalists receiving awards for their excellent reportage in various fields.
Ms Joyce Danso, an Editor, received the Best Crime and Court Journalist Award, Mr Caesar Abagali, the Northern Regional Manager, picked the Best WASH Award, Mr Christian Akorli, a Deputy News Editor, received the Award for Small and Micro Scale Enterprises, while Mr Godwill Arthur-Mensah, a Chief Reporter, won the Best Small-Scale Illegal Mining Award. Each received a certificate and a plaque.
Other awards were on Environmental Reporting, Human Rights Reporting for Print and Electronic, Sports Journalists for Radio and Print, Domestic Tourism Report, Oil and Gas Report, and Rural Reporting.
Mr Roland Affail Monney, the GJA President, said press freedom in Ghana was heart-warming adding that the country had moved from a second in rank to first in Africa and 23rd in the world.
He said this showed the progress made by journalists across the country to contribute to national development through their diverse reportage.
He, however, said journalists were sometimes abused unlawfully in the course of duty, an act, he said, should be punished legally to serve as a deterrent to other attackers.
Mr Monney, citing the heinous murder of the Turkish journalist; Jamal Khashoggi, said that attack should never be repeated anywhere adding; “an attack on every journalist anywhere is an attack on journalists everywhere.”
He said in spite of the GJA’s satisfaction with the growing public recognition and appreciation of investigative journalism, sometimes referred to as, “Undercover, Watchdog or Accountability Reporting,” the Association was aware of some of the criticism that came with it.
“Article 13 of the GJA Code of Ethics requires that the journalist obtains in formatiioon, videos, data, photographs and illustrations only by honest, straight forward, fair and open means unless otherwise tampered by public interest considerations,” he said, and urged journalists to, as much as possible, abide by it.
Touching on the welfare of members of the GJA, he disclosed that the Association’s project to construct affordable houses for journalists had begun, which would address the accommodation problems they faced to ensure “One Journalist One House.”
Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, a Law Professor at the University of Ghana, who Chaired the Occasion, commended the GJA for organising the programme, which would boost the morale of journalists.
She said it was always important to encourage people who had distinguished themselves in their profession and congratulated all awardees for their outstanding works.
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