The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor has stated that the national executive of the Association will use the 75th anniversary to address the growing levels of unprofessional practices among journalists in the country.
Describing the situation as worrying, Mr Dwumfuor said the issue will be given topmost priority.
“There is also a worrying trend of unprofessional practices by a section of the media due to many factors, including lack of appreciation for professional ethics and media ownership. We will use this anniversary celebration to address some of these critical matters,” he said during his welcome address at the launch of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Association in Accra on April 17, 2024.
The theme for the anniversary is, ’75 years of Excellence in journalism: Honouring the past, embracing the present, shaping the future’.
He noted that the need for adherence to professional ethics has become even more imperative due to the forthcoming general elections slated for December 7, 2024.
“I must emphasize, that the GJA will not tolerate any acts of unprofessionalism as we approach the vital election time. We shall try our best to maintain better levels of professionalism to protect our democracy,” the GJA President assured.
He was hopeful that the future generation of journalists will be more ethical in their practice of the profession.
“I am happy we have a large number of students in this hall. The future belongs to you. And it is our responsibility as an Association (of course, with the support of the training institutions) to prepare you for the future. We need to guide your ethical upbringing in the profession.
We need to offer you the needed support to navigate emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is taking or has already taken, centre stage of global affairs, in journalism practice in the future. That is why we have scheduled a symposium on AI for the youth as part of the anniversary activities. We believe the future is bright for the media landscape in Ghana,” Mr Dwumfuor stated.