Graphic dominates GJA award nominations
The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) maintained its dominance of the media landscape in Ghana by grabbing eight nominations announced by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) yesterday for the 20th GJA Awards slated for Saturday, August 15, 2015.
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Eight journalists of the company — Doreen Hammond, Mabel Aku Baneseh, Moses Dotse Aklobortu, Nana Konadu Agyeman, Seth J. Bokpe, Gabriel Ahiabor, Della Rusell Ocloo and Zadok K. Gyesi — have all been nominated for the awards that celebrate excellence in journalism in the country.
Last year, the company swept 10 awards, including the Journalist of the Year, at the ceremony at the Banquet Hall, which is also the venue for this year’s.
Other winners among the 26 award nominees are Rebecca Awuah, Felix Klutse, Elvis Darko, Kwetey Nartey, Seth K. Boateng, Wendy Laryea and Alberto Mario Noretti.
The others are Samuel Adadi Akapule, David Andoh, Benedict Owusu, Abdul Moomen Hayi, Joseph Opoku Gakpo and Nii Adjei Klu.
The applicants were assessed on their ability to demonstrate high levels of accuracy, originality, balance, relevance, compliance with ethical standards in their writings and those whose stories made social impacts.
The committee emphasised that successful journalists nominated for the awards were those who wrote stories that made good use of language and presentation.
Award committee’s observations
The Chairperson of the 11-member committee, Madam Roberta Gardener, said the language use in journalism was very crucial because “if you don’t have the language and flair you cannot be a linguist”, in reference to the need for journalists to master whatever language their stories were presented in.
She urged journalists applying for the awards to ensure that they filed the stories in the appropriate category since even good stories in wrong categories were not considered.
She said among the recommendations for this year’s awards was to honour journalists who had consistently entered and won awards in a wide area of subjects.
Ms Gardener, however, issued a caveat that the fact that a particular journalist may win more than one award on the night did not mean that journalist would win the ultimate award.
“The Journalist of the Year is the brightest star that shines than all. One person can use one powerful entry to win the award,” she emphasised.
This year had 199 entries – a significant reduction in the 432 applications last year because of a new rule that limits the number of categories that journalists could file their stories in.
Award categories
The awards will be in five categories; Category one includes separate awards for radio, television and print for news reporting and features.
Category two will be for both print and electronic on investigative reporting, photo journalism, sports for print and electronic which includes commentary, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu award for business and finance and economic reporting, small and micro-scale enterprise.
Others are environment, health, HIV and AIDS, development journalism for furthering the MDGs, parliamentary reporting, human rights focusing on child rights, political reporting, and crime and court reporting.
The rest are sanitation and hygiene, disability, telecommunication, digital journalism, including blogging, anti-corruption, education for electronic and print media, science, oil and gas sector, anti-narcotics, agriculture and rural reporting.
The third category which goes to the print media is for columnist and best cartoonist while the fourth category for media houses only covers democracy and peace building, best layout and designed newspaper and best rural radio station, best TV programme in Akan, best radio and TV programme in Dagbani , Ewe, Ga, Hausa and Nzema.
The fifth category is the GJA/Komla Dumor Most Promising Young Journalist and the GJA/Prof. P.V. Ansah Journalist of the Year.
GJA receives donations
Meanwhile, three organisations have presented cheques worth GH¢40,000 towards Saturday’s event.
They are Ghana Oil (GOIL), GH¢20,000; International Cocoa Initiative, GH¢10,000 and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), GH¢10,000.
The President of the GJA, Mr Affail Monney, who expressed appreciation to the donors, said in spite of the flaws and imperfections in the Ghanaian media, those who excelled should be celebrated.
