President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Roland Affail Monney has called on stakeholders to pay attention to the low level of remuneration of journalists across the country.
Speaking at the opening of the Media Capacity Enhancement Programme in Kumasi on Monday, Mr. Affail Monney emphasized that, the performance of journalists is tied to their wellbeing and conditions of service.
“The naked truth is that most media houses and individual journalists are too financially disabled to meet their critical training or self-development needs. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reminds us poignantly that, ‘there can be no press freedom if journalists live in conditions of poverty, fear and corruption’. The causal nexus between flip-flop poverty and below par performance in certain media circles underlines the need to address the salary issue of journalists with urgent promptitude”, Mr. Affail Monney urged.
The GJA President therefore urged all relevant stakeholders to make life more comfortable for media practitioners, in order to improve their productivity and quality of output.
Mr. Affail Monney also charged journalists to be professional in their reportage.
“The experts tell us anything without humour is almost inhuman. And good humour is a mark of high intelligence. Indeed, we love programmes spiced with humour and enjoy discussions leavened with proverbs. However, this point can hardly be articulated- excessive injection of jocularity and proverbization in news in particular, and other serious programming, is problematic. Such breezy ethical breaches add tinder to the anger of media critics, and make forgiveness for our professional sins hellishly difficult.
Furthermore, the GJA wants the media to promote civility in public discourse and champion healthy debates of national issues, bearing in mind that debates are the lifeblood of liberal democracies such as ours. In the process, the media should tone down their partisan slant and blatant spin and tone up their independent streak and objective bent. This approach will help meet an ethical imperative of feeding the public with free, fair, balanced and comprehensive information with which they will make reasoned decisions” Affail Monney stated.
The 2022 edition of the Media Capacity Enhancement Programme is an initiative by the Ministry of Information, designed to improve the abilities of journalists in the discharge of their duties.
Dignitiaries present at the launch included; Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Chairman of MCEP, Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, the Rector of Ghana Institute of Journalism, US Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan and Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei- Mensah.
Latest Stories
-
IMF endorses ECG privatisation
29 minutes -
Ablekuma North rerun: A win was expected because we worked hard – Ewurabena Aubynn
30 minutes -
Finance Minister to deliver mid-year budget review on July 24
57 minutes -
Rotary renews pledge to fight polio, expand its impact footprint across Ghana
1 hour -
Minority blasts government appointees for ‘celebrating violence’ in Ablekuma North
2 hours -
NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn wins Ablekuma North seat in crucial rerun
2 hours -
Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly announces two-month ultimatum for developers to regularise building permit
2 hours -
Asantehene assures Kumasi Zoo won’t be relocated
2 hours -
Results from Ablekuma North rerun: Ewurabena Aubynn is MP-elect
2 hours -
TECNO kicks off New Era with SPARK 40 Series and CAF Partnership
3 hours -
Justice Blay apologizes for controversial comments on radio interview
3 hours -
Minority condemns violence, police inaction in Ablekuma North rerun
4 hours -
Ablekuma North rerun: Counting done, collation underway
4 hours -
“We neither sleep nor slumber,” says NPP’s Akua Afriyie as polls close in Ablekuma North rerun
4 hours -
GJA demands transparent probe over police officer’s assault on journalist at Ablekuma North
4 hours