Mobile Telecommunications giant, MTN has presented cheques to two national media umbrella organizations - the Ghana News Agency (GNA) and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in support of various projects of their work. GNA was presented with GH¢30,114.00 for the refurbishment of their newsroom while GBC received GH¢12, 000.00 in support of their 75th Anniversary celebration. MTN’s donation to the GNA was in response to an appeal made to the company by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) of the institution in respect of an urgent assistance required to improve the state of the newsroom. In their initial response to the request, MTN paid a familiarization visit to the agency, ostensibly to have first hand assessment of the situation. The condition in the newsroom compelled the management of MTN to take the decision to transform the newsroom into an ultra modern facility in a matter of weeks in order to restore some dignity to the strategic national institution. Established by the first president Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on the eve of Ghana’s independence, the Ghana News Agency is the only wire service organization in the country with nationwide coverage and serves as the major source of news to the nation’s Print, Radio, Television and On-line media. Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh, the Corporate Services Executive of MTN, enumerated some past engagements her company has had with the institution, saying “During the 2008 Election period, MTN took the responsibility of training journalists of this institution to build their capacity for effective and efficient reportage”. She also recounted the company’s support to sponsoring the participation of some GNA staff in the ITU-Telecoms World Conference which was held in South Africa in 2008. Mrs. Trebarh reiterated MTN’s readiness to assist the media such as the GNA because of the common role the media and the telecoms sector play towards national development: making business decisions and policies and fostering social interaction through the provision of information. Mr. Francis Rex Annan, the Administrative Manager of GNA, who received the cheque on behalf of the Director expressed GNA’s gratefulness to MTN for the support stressing that it was the biggest support received so far from any corporate organization since GNA’s establishment on 5th March, 1957. Presenting the cheque to GBC, Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh commended the organization for their professional service to the nation for the last 75 years which according to her, is a manifestation of their true commitment to serving the nation. She praised staff and management of the organization for their “unalloyed endurance, service, professionalism and above all patriotism to the nation”. She also acknowledged the numerous challenges facing GBC as a public broadcaster and assured them of her organization’s commitment to supporting the media in the country to enable them churn out valuable and timely information which is very crucial to the development of the country. On their part, GBC lauded MTN for the kind gesture.