Albert Kwabena Dwumfour
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has announced that the 30th edition of the GJA Media Awards would be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Accra.
He said the 30th GJA Media Awards, which would be held under the theme, “30th GJA Media Awards: Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Media Freedom and Combating Hate Speech in the Digital Age,” is not only to celebrate journalistic excellence but also to draw attention to emerging challenges confronting the media space.
He disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama, who is a member of the GJA, would serve as Special Guest of Honour, while the Patron of the Association, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, together with the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, who would serve as the Guest of Honour, would attend the ceremony.
According to Mr. Dwumfour, the association received 327 entries from 206 journalists for this year’s awards.
He noted that the entries comprised 125 from online media, 111 from television, 46 from print and 45 from radio, citing two new categories introduced – the New Media Platform Award and the Governor’s Economic and Financial Story of the Year Award.
He explained that the New Media category is intended to encourage bloggers and other new media practitioners to uphold professional and ethical standards, while the Economic and Financial Reporting category aims to encourage reporting in the financial sector, which has attracted more than 10 entries.
The GJA President expressed appreciation to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama, for supporting the new Economic and Financial Reporting category.
He seized the opportunity to urge journalists to practice responsible journalism, stressing that the fundamental responsibilities of journalists remained unchanged despite technological advancement, social media and artificial intelligence.
“We must seek the truth. We must verify information. We must be fair. We must provide context. Above all, we must protect the credibility of our profession,” he stated.
He also acknowledged the decision by President Mahama to task the GJA and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to engage stakeholders in a national dialogue on addressing hate speech and other challenges within Ghana’s media ecosystem, particularly on new media platforms.
Mr. Dwumfour called on journalists to prioritise accuracy, fairness, independence, ethical conduct and responsible reporting in an era of misinformation and disinformation.
He said the GJA Media Awards is intended to recognise journalism that served the public interest by informing citizens, exposing wrongdoing, promoting accountability and contributing to national development.
‘Investigate Attacks on Journalists’
Meanwhile, the GJA President has given the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) a two-week deadline to provide a comprehensive account of investigations into alleged attacks on two journalists during separate demolition exercises in Accra.
According to him, the association is concerned about reported attacks on Philip Abutiate of Bullet TV during a demolition exercise at Laboma Beach and Kweku Dennis Sika of Sika Official at La Pleasure Beach, allegedly involving personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Mr. Dwumfour condemned the incidents and stressed that journalists must be allowed to work freely and safely while performing their professional duties.
“No security operation should become an excuse for assaulting media practitioners who are carrying out their constitutional responsibility of informing the public,” he said.
He stated that the GJA expects the GAF to provide details of the investigations and specify any disciplinary or other measures taken against personnel found culpable.
The GJA President also called on the Minister for the Interior, the National Security Coordinator and the Chief of Defence Staff to ensure that the deadline is met and the outcome of the investigations are made public.
He warned that failure to receive a satisfactory report within the two-week period would compel the GJA to escalate the matter through “all appropriate legal, institutional and public accountability channels.”
“The GJA will not allow these incidents to be swept under the carpet. We will pursue the matter until there is accountability for any personnel found to have unlawfully assaulted journalists in the discharge of their professional duties,” Mr. Dwumfour stated.
He stressed that the safety of journalists is essential to the protection of press freedom and the survival of Ghana’s democracy.
By Florence Adom Asamoah