The Upper East Regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has launched the Second edition of the Regional Awards to meritoriously appreciate the work of Practitioners of the ink fraternity in the region.
The awards event, which is slated to come off on October 6, 2023, is under the theme; Safeguarding the Peace and Security of the Upper East Region: The Role of the Media.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, July 27, 2023, Regional Chairman of the association, William Jalula impressed upon journalists to exude high standard of professionalism in their reportage.
Mr. Jalula noted that churning out unverified and inaccurate information especially on issues of conflict could escalate the security situation in the region thus, journalists must be meticulous in executing their job.
“I urge you all to be professional in reporting conflicting and conflict related issues. If we must report on any conflict, let’s crosscheck our information very carefully. If after crosschecking and we are still in doubt, let’s leave out,” he urged.
“ Let’s also be mindful that as journalists, crosschecking is a duty and we must do it and do it well. It’s better not to report on matters you are not sure about the accuracy of the information than to report and mislead the public”.
On issues of violent extremism, the GJA Chairman wants journalists not to rush to report but rather alert the security agencies if they suspect anything untoward.
“I want to caution that we should not rush to report every information about suspected activities violent extremists rather let’s alert the security agencies of any suspicious activities of these people for them to take action.
If not, when we rush to publish on such activities, persons behind such activities will strategize and perhaps relocate to be able to carry out their evil acts”.
While urging prospective applicants for the awards to submit competitive works for entry, he indicated award winners will receive handsome prizes.
Mr. Jalula appealed to organizations and corporate institutions in the region to support the awards event.
Speaking on behalf of the Upper East Regional Minister, Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga congratulated the Journalists for the impactful work they have been doing over the years and asked them to be measured in their reportage to maintain peace in the region.
Nominations for this year’s awards will be opened today, July 28, 2023 for journalists in the region and expected to close on August 29, 2023.
Meanwhile, a 3-member committee has been inaugurated to assess the works that will be submitted and to determine the winners.
