Professor David Millar, President of the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies, has called on Ghanaian journalists to do more investigative journalism to help drive the needed development.
He advocated intensive training policies and programmes to be designed and rolled out to help train journalists, especially the young generation, to empower them with the necessary skills of investigation which was cardinal in journalism.
Professor Millar was speaking at the second edition of the Upper East Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards held at Bolgatanga at the weekend, where he donated copies of Manasseh Azure Awuni’s book on investigative journalism to some award winners.
“The young journalist needs an orientation on what investigative journalism means and that is why I went off my way to buy those books,” he said.
He added: “I wish I could get copies for every journalist to read because it will propel you to appreciate what investigative journalism means.”
The awards ceremony was on the theme: “Safeguarding the Peace and Security of Upper East Region: the Role of the Media.”
Ten journalists received various recognitions.
Professor Millar who was the Chairman of this year’s awards committee, charged the GJA at the national level to take strong action to provide competencies and opportunities for journalists in Northern Ghana.
He said journalists in Northern Ghana were marginalised and worked under limited support and difficult circumstances and noted such a move would help them to grow and contribute significantly to societal development.
“We need affirmative action to provide skills, space and voice for marginalised journalistic constituencies and by this I refer to the constituencies in the North,” he said.
Professor Millar, however, expressed dissatisfaction over what he described as “disconnect between journalists in the North and those in the South” where names of places were given to the wrong regions in their reportage.
“Sometimes you will hear things like the capital of Upper East Region, Wa…so, when it happens that way, it means that the media house is disconnected from what happens in the North, so, GJA, facilitate these linkages between media houses in the North and those in South,” he said.
Mrs Linda Asante Agyei, the National Vice President of the GJA, said given the resurgence of conflict in the region, which factor had largely undermined the development and growth of the Upper East Region, it was important for media practitioners and institutions in the region to recognize and deliver the cardinal purpose of their mandate, to help advance human development and growth.
“I, therefore, encourage the media in the Upper East Region to always stay on the side of peace and work to ensure that conflicts in the region become history. Please, do not give your platforms to peace wreckers and war mongers,” she added.
The Vice President expressed the regret that no female journalist was among the 10 awardees and described it as “disheartening.”
“Does it mean there are no female journalists in the region? Whatever may be the reason for this huge gender gap, I urge my sisters in the profession here to wake up from their slumber and give the male colleagues a real competition.
The GJA she said had instituted a category for Best Female Journalist to motivate more females enter the competition adding that, there were other female journalists wining the Journalist of Year award, Investigative Journalists of the Year award and Most Promising Journalist of the Year award, which she asked them to take keen interest in.
She announced that the GJA would next year, celebrate its 75th Anniversary and also lead Ghana to host the 3rd Africa Media Convention, which was secured with the support of government and UNESCO.
The Convention she said would bring together about one thousand media practitioners and partners from Africa and across the world to discuss pertinent issues in the media industry in Africa.
“We are poised to leverage this big platform to showcase the positive image of media in Ghana to the outside world, and to give a showdown to attacks and attackers on press freedom,” she noted.
Mr William Jalulah, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the GJA commended journalists in the region for their contributions over the years towards the development of the region and urged them to be circumspect when reporting on conflict issues in the region.
The main sponsor of this year’s awards was the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project being implemented by a consortium of WaterAid Ghana, Right to Play, FAWE, FHI 360, with funding from the Global Affairs Canada.
Other sponsors include Silas Amoah Foundation, MTN Ghana, Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana, Endswell Pharmacy, VRA/NEDCO, Widows and Orphans Movement, Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA) and the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly.
