Ghanaian Journalists
Loading
1st November, 2011
THE GJA MUST CONSULT (1)
THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is a very important institution that caters for the interests of media practitioners in this country.
Apart from regulating the conduct of journalistic practice, it is also responsible for ensuring that journalists abide by the ethics of the profession.
In short, the association serves as the mouthpiece of journalists in the country and beyond.
Since the membership of the association cuts across the various media organisations throughout the country, it cannot operate in a vacuum, as it needs to consult when it comes to taking decisions that affect their welfare and journalistic practice as a whole.
Taking decisions without consulting the rank-and-file, means imposition of ideas on the members, however, well intentioned they may be.
It is unfortunate that of late, the association has been embarking on certain projects without the knowledge of the majority of its members.
A case in point is the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the GJA, the BUSAC Fund and the Business and Financial Times which compels the association to set aside October in every year, as “Development Month”, a period for the media to review and discuss developmental issues in the country.
Under this agreement, the GJA will establish what is termed, “Media-Corporate Response Initiative (M-CRI),” an arm of the media, to pursue the execution of development projects in the country.
The GJA president, Mr. Ransford Tetteh, and Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng, appended their signatures to the document signifying the approval of the MOU.
The Times is not against the use of the media to promote development across the country, but have an issue with the approach being adopted by the GJA to further the interests of some particular groups without consulting the rank-and-file.
This constant practice by the GJA to side-step members and keep them in the dark on issues that affect the overall interests of the association, is not a healthy sign and must be discouraged before it tends to divide the association.
For instance, how does the GJA hope to influence the media to abide by the terms of the MoU when the media, and indeed the editors of the various media houses were not consulted.
Much as the association is interested in promoting issues that can generate resources to enhance its operations, it should not be seen as being used by some particular interest groups for their selfish motives.
We do not think that organisations such as the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMA) and the likes would allow themselves to be used by some groups to project their selfish and egoistic agenda.
Let us nurture the association to grow on the right path!
Apart from regulating the conduct of journalistic practice, it is also responsible for ensuring that journalists abide by the ethics of the profession.
In short, the association serves as the mouthpiece of journalists in the country and beyond.
Since the membership of the association cuts across the various media organisations throughout the country, it cannot operate in a vacuum, as it needs to consult when it comes to taking decisions that affect their welfare and journalistic practice as a whole.
Taking decisions without consulting the rank-and-file, means imposition of ideas on the members, however, well intentioned they may be.
It is unfortunate that of late, the association has been embarking on certain projects without the knowledge of the majority of its members.
A case in point is the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the GJA, the BUSAC Fund and the Business and Financial Times which compels the association to set aside October in every year, as “Development Month”, a period for the media to review and discuss developmental issues in the country.
Under this agreement, the GJA will establish what is termed, “Media-Corporate Response Initiative (M-CRI),” an arm of the media, to pursue the execution of development projects in the country.
The GJA president, Mr. Ransford Tetteh, and Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng, appended their signatures to the document signifying the approval of the MOU.
The Times is not against the use of the media to promote development across the country, but have an issue with the approach being adopted by the GJA to further the interests of some particular groups without consulting the rank-and-file.
This constant practice by the GJA to side-step members and keep them in the dark on issues that affect the overall interests of the association, is not a healthy sign and must be discouraged before it tends to divide the association.
For instance, how does the GJA hope to influence the media to abide by the terms of the MoU when the media, and indeed the editors of the various media houses were not consulted.
Much as the association is interested in promoting issues that can generate resources to enhance its operations, it should not be seen as being used by some particular interest groups for their selfish motives.
We do not think that organisations such as the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMA) and the likes would allow themselves to be used by some groups to project their selfish and egoistic agenda.
Let us nurture the association to grow on the right path!
Popular stories from Editorials
