THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has inaugurated two committees to plan the 2006 GJA Awards with a call on corporate bodies, journalists and civil society groups to continue to support efforts at expanding and deepening the frontiers of free speech, good governance and the rule of law. The GJA President, Mr Ransford Tetteh, who inaugurated the Awards and Planning Committees, urged the members to use the opportunity granted them to motivate journalists to appreciate the fact that it was rewarding to abide by the ethics of the profession, to be always accurate, fair and balanced in their reports. The 13-member Awards Committee has Mr Kweku Rockson, acting Director of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) as chairman. The Planning Committee has the GJA President as chairman. Mr Tetteh added that journalists played an indispensable role in deepening democracy and reminded media practitioners that it was necessary for them to work according to the ethics of the profession. This year's award, which is the 12th edition, coincides with Ghana's Golden Jubilee celebration. The 2006 Awards are dedicated to journalists, dead and alive, who have worked tirelessly to promote press freedom and democracy in the country. The other members of the Award Committee are Mr Kwasi Gyan Appenteng, a veteran journalist and a columnist of The Mirror, Mr G.B.K. Owusu, also a veteran journalist; Dr Doris Dartey, a communication consultant; Ms Sarah Akrofi-Quarcoo, a Lecturer at the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon; Mr Francis Sasu, Chief Editor, GTV and Mrs Esa Chinnery-Hesse, Legal Department, Ghana Maritime Authority. The rest are Mr Egbert Fabille Jnr, Editor, The Ghanaian Observe, Mr. Kofi Nyantakyi, General Manager TV3 Network; Mr Bob Bentil of the Ghanaian Times, Mr Sammy Adu-Agyei, a veteran sports journalist; Mr Gerald Annan-Forson, photography consultant and President of the Ghana Photographers Association, as well as Mrs Jeannette Quarcoopome of the Media Foundation for West Africa. The other members of the Planning Committee are Mr Afriyie Badu, Chief Executive of KAB Governance Consult; Mrs Marian Kyei, also of KAB Governance Consult; Mr Mathias Tibu of the Ghana Institute of Journalism and Mr Nanabanyin Dadson, Editor of the Graphic Showbiz. The other members are Mr Peter Agbeko Jnr, consultant, Ms Doris Kuwornu of GTV and Mr Kwami Sefa-Kayi of Peace FM. The GJA Secretariat had received 205 entries for the 2006 awards as against the 111 entries received for the 2005 award edition. The GJA award competition, which is aimed at promoting professionalism and high Journalistic standards, is open only to media houses in Ghana and divided into four categories. The first category relates to news reporting and features for both electronic and the print media. The second category awards journalists for investigative reporting, photojournalism, sports, arts and entertainment, finance and economic reporting, environment, health and rural reporting. The third category concerns the best columnist, specifically for the print media while the final category awards media houses for the best radio talk show, best television talk show, best layout and designed newspaper, human rights and peace-building. The chairman of the Awards Planning Committee, Mr Rockson, pledged to work hard to analyse all the entries received to come out with the best entry. Mr Afriyie-Badu, for his part, recalled the role journalists had played in promoting freedom in the country and said although there had been excesses in the media, the role of the media in promoting freedom in the country could not be downplayed. Culled from Daily Graphic