US Ambassador visits Graphic
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Stephanie S. Sullivan, has visited the Daily Graphic office in Accra.
During the visit last Wednesday, she met with the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Kobby Asmah, the Deputy Editor, Mr Theophilus Yartey, and the Foreign and Special Supplements Editor, Ms Mary Mensah.
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The US Ambassador was accompanied by the Counsellor for Public Affairs, Ms Virginia Elliott, the Press Attaché, Ms Naomi Mattos, and the Information Specialist, Ms Joyce Asiedu.
This was Ambassador Sullivan’s first visit to the office of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, which produces the country’s flagship newspaper, the Daily Graphic, and five other newspapers, an online portal, www.graphic.com.gh and the Graphic NewsPlus, the electronic version of the newspapers, which is available on Google Playstore and Apple Stores.
Discussions
In her meeting, Ambassador Sullivan discussed the media landscape with the editors and reiterated the US government’s commitment to support a free and responsible press.
She noted that journalists should be free to do their work responsibly, without fear, harassment or intimidation.
She also described the strong US-Ghana bilateral relationship, highlighting several key anniversaries – 60th anniversary of both the Peace Corps and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ghana and across the globe, as well as the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright exchange programme.
She added that Ghana was the first country to receive Peace Corps volunteers and repeated the well-known adage, “Peace Corps was born in the United States but learned to walk in Ghana.” While the pandemic interrupted the Peace Corps programme worldwide, Ambassador Sullivan expressed the hope to welcome back some two dozen Peace Corps Volunteers by the end of 2021.
Other areas
Other topics discussed were US global partnerships and the US commitment to multilateral institutions. Ambassador Sullivan pointed to the US government rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement as an example of the United States’ rejoining the multilateral community to invest in combating climate change.
Additional examples were the US government rejoining the World Health Organisation and US support in the global pandemic response, as well as the US partnership with Ghana in regional security efforts.
Ambassador Sullivan also toured the various Graphic Group offices and its printing press.
The Ambassador was introduced to the members of the Editorial Conference, making up of the editors of the various units of the paper.
Mr Asmah explained that the Editorial Conference was where the editors met to review production and brainstorm on the stories to be selected for publication.
PHOTO: Mr Kobby Asmah (hand stretched), introducing members of the Editorial Conference to Mrs Stephanie Sullivan (right) during her visit to the offices of the GCGL in Accra on Wednesday.
PHOTO: Mrs Stephanie Sullivan (left), US Ambassador to Ghana, in a discussion with Mr Kobby Asmah, Editor of the Daily Graphic.
PHOTO: Mr Charles Amoako (left), Director, Technical Services, GCGL, briefing Mrs Stephanie Sullivan (2nd left) during her visit to the Graphic Press.
PHOTO: Ms Kate Baaba Hudson (left), Editor of Junior Graphic, and Ms Doreen Hammond (right), Editor of The Mirror with Mrs Stephanie Sullivan at the Daily Graphic newsroom.