Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Monday, April 11, 2016 launched the 21st edition of its flagship award scheme in Accra.
The Association therefore invited entries for the various categories for the award which is slated forSaturday, August, 20, 2016, at the State Banquet Hall Accra.
According to the National Executive Committee of the GJA, entries for the competition which is opened to its members working in the Ghanaian media should cover works published or broadcast from the period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.
Touching on this year’s theme, “Media for Undisputed and Peaceful 2016 Election: the Support of Civil Society,” GJA President, Mr. Affail Monney, explained that the GJA Constitution charges the Association to promote high journalistic standards, and reward members who excel in their work periodically.
“It is for this reason that the annual GJA Awards was instituted and GJA members who believe their works in 2015 contributed to the promotion of excellence in journalism are eligible and indeed encouraged to contest,” he said.
Mr. Monney expressed excitement about the way the award scheme has helped to broaden the knowledge of journalists in the country.
He explained that entries would be received in all categories, except for the Journalist of the Year and the Komla Dumor Most Promising Young Journalist.
In the two cases, nominations from the public including media professionals, he said, will inform the thoughts and decision of the Awards Committee.
“Where the situation demands, the Awards Committee will have the right to call for works from those short-listed before the winner is determined,” he added.
Mr. Monney further explained that no contestant should submit entries for more than two categories, saying “this is to encourage specialisation and also to avoid the situations where there is the temptation to believe that the more awards a contestant wins makes him/her an obvious choice for either Journalist of the Year or the Most Promising Young Journalist.”
Below are the categories:
Category One: (Separate awards for radio and Television and Print)
News Reporting
Sports
Education
Features
Category Two: (Award to cater both Print and Electronics)
Investigative Reporting
Photo Journalism
Arts/Entertainment &Domestic Tourism
Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu Award for Business/Finance & Economic Reporting
Small and Micro Scale Enterprise (SMEs)
Environment
Health (Including HIV and AIDS)
Development Journalism for furthering the SDG”s
Parliamentary Reporting
Human Rights (with focus on child protection)
Political Reporting
Crime & Court Reporting
Sanitation & Hygiene
Disability
Telecommunication
Digital Journalism (Including Blogging)
Anti-Corruption
Science
Oil and Gas
Anti-Narcotics
Agriculture
Local Governance & Decentralisation
Rural Reporting (with focus on Elimination Worst forms of Child Labour)
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