The Awardees The Awardees
Ghanaian Times Reporter, Ms Benedicta Gyimaah Folley, has been awarded at the inclusive and anti-conflict journalism awards for her outstanding reporting on minority rights issues.
She won the second runner-up for the print and online category of the award scheme which honours exceptional reportage on conflict, development, minority, climate change, indigenous and migration issues covered in Ghana.
Being the first edition organised by Media Platform on Environment and Climate Change (MPEC) and the Minority Rights Group Africa (MRGA) in Accra, Tuesday, the award was on the theme: ‘Raising public awareness of the interconnections between conflict, migration, climate change and minority exclusion.’
It was organised under the “Engaging Media and Minorities to Act for Peacebuilding (EMMAP),” a multi-country project funded by the European Union (EU) and being implemented in Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
Seven other journalists; Edward Acquah of Ghana News Agency (GNA)-Accra, won the first place in the wireservices category with his colleague, Anthony Adongo Apubeo of the same media house -Upper East Region taking the second place.
Ivy Priscilla Setordjie of Multimedia Group (Joy News) – Volta Region took the first position in the TV category with her counterpart, Nana Yaw Gyimah Mensah-Ashanti Region, placing second.
Prince Kwame Tamakloe of Rainbow Radio/Kesmi FM- Tamale won the Radio category with Abdul-Washiru Tahiru of Asaase Radio – Savannah Region taking the second runner-up.
Mohammed Fugu of Graphic Communications Group Limited, Northern Region, won the best reporter for the print and online category and the overall best reporter in the inclusive and anti-conflict journalism awards.
The category winners received certificates, medals, and cash prizes with their second runner-ups receiving certificates and some cash prizes, however, Graphic’s Mohammed Fugu was given plaque and additional cash prize to his first category presentation.
Speaking at the programme, the Executive Director, MPEC, Mrs Mary A. Kudom-Agyemang said the award was to motivate and incentivised journalists to pay closer attention to issues of conflicts, migration, climate change and minority exclusion.
She said it was to also improve media coverage knowledge narratives of not only the negatives but also the positive stories.
She expressed gratitude to all journalists who heeded their call to participate in the awards and commended the awardees for their exceptional reportage.
Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana who was the chairperson of the event, urged journalists to practice journalism in an innovative way that de-escalate dialogue and peaceful outcome, but not in a way that escalate conflict through bias and “sensational lies reported.”
She admonished traditional media to ensure that news and information consume becomes part of the solution to a world internal and not the problem.
“Journalists must be more inclusive in their reportage and pay closer attention to issues that adversely affect our development and well-being,” Prof. Gadzekpo added.
The Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Linda Asante Agyei for her part, commended MPEC and its partners for organising such an award to honour journalists of their good works and entreated journalists to continue to work hard to build and sustain public confidence in the media.
Story By: Vivian Arthur
Source: GhanaianTimes.com
Leave A Comment