Executives and members of GJA and FES in a group photograph after opening session of the validation work.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the umbrella body of professional media practitioners in the country, has revised its Code of ethics.
The new code, drafted in Ho in the Volta Region under the chairmanship of Dr. Kweku Rockson, accordingly seeks to ensure that members of GJA adhere to the highest ethical standards, professional competence and good behaviour in carrying out their duties.
GJA’s old code of ethics, which laid emphasis on people’s right to true information, professional integrity and social responsibility, came into force in 1994.
However, with the proliferation of media establishments in the country, it became necessary for the Association to revise its code.
The new code, which is yet to be published, encompasses the challenges across the traditional, new media, social media and cross media, as far as newsgathering, processing and dissemination are concerned.
At a validation workshop held on Tuesday in Accra, members and executives of GJA approved a preamble and 24 guidelines to the code in conformity with emerging trends in media practice in the country.
In a communiqué adopted by GJA and signed by its President Dr. Affail Monney and Dr Kweku Rockson, Chairman of the Validation Committee respectively after the workshop, the Association observed that the new code, drafted in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), shall ensure the highest journalistic standards, assist media practitioners to avoid legal breaches and help in naming and shaming unprofessional media practitioners.
“The provisions are expected to improve the qualitative performance of media practitioners in the country,” it said.
Earlier, the Resident Director of FES, Ghana, Fritz Kopsieker, appealed to journalists to pay critical attention to serious national issues.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Western Publications Limited, publishers of DAILY GUIDE, Gina Blay, in a submission at the workshop, has urged journalists to see the new code as their second “Holy Bible.”
By Melvin Tarlue