The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has held its first retreat to brainstorm on policies and programmes that will strengthen the GJA as well as offer hope to its members.
The three-day retreat, dubbed, “Building Legacies in Welfare, professionalism and rebranding to reposition GJA for A better future”, also focused on some critical subjects including the welfare of journalists.
Apart from the Executives of GJA, most media bigwigs attended the opening ceremony of the retreat which was held at the Mount Pleasant Inns and Apartments at Obosomase-Akwapim on Friday, August 5, 2022.
Speaking at the Event, the GJA President, Mr. Alert Kwabena Dwumfour urged all media practitioners in Ghana to close their ranks and to rally behind the newly sworn-n executives, both at the National and regional levels, to deliver good results that will inure to the collective benefits of the Association in the next three years.
He also underscored the need for all executives countrywide to be united and to endeavour to build consensus on the way forward for the Association, given the daunting tasks of rebuilding the one-time vibrant Association into a strong and indispensable force in the country.
“As we embark on this transformation and rebuilding agenda, it is important to indicate to all our members across the country that, the newly elected executives cannot do this alone, as such, it is important for all hands to be on deck to lend us your support to ensure the success of this laudable vision,” he said.
He added that, “We the National Executive Committee have a vision, which if properly executed, will go a long way to reinvigorate our Association and one of such strategies is the establishment of the Journalists Support Fund, to cater for the emotional and psychological needs of Ghana’s media practitioners.”
Mr Dwumfour also said the GJA is going to embark on an aggressive media development agenda that will see transformation in the way the journalism profession is practiced in the country.
He also noticed that some media practitioners do not receive incentives or compensation in the form of wages and salaries.
To reverse the trend, he said the GJA has begun moves aimed at collaborating with Media Owners in the country to institute a credible and sustainable salary regime for all journalists who play their profession in the country.
Mr Dwumfour also said the new Executives intend to review the Constitution of the Association to inject discipline into its scheme of affairs and to safeguard the rights of all media practitioners in the country.
He announced that a seven-member awards review Committee has been established to make the GJA Awards more appealing and competitive.
Meanwhile, he said the GJA has resolved to hold two retreats in a year, adding that one would be done in the beginning of the year whiles the other is done in the middle of the year.