By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The Melcom Care, under the Melcom Group of Companies has lauded Ghanaian Media as the brand, associated itself with the Graphic Communications Group by honouring the immediate past Editor of the Daily Graphic Kobby Asmah for his excellent contribution to the national development effort.
The challenge that this undertaking poses to any group of practitioners or individuals is that; It’s not journalism for the sake of being certified as such but the practical demonstration of the ability to appreciate the responsibilities of all the arms of governmental machinery, gathering information about their output, assess same, create informative-facts, figures, and relevant decisions and present same as news or information.
At a short ceremony in Accra to present the price in form of a brand new refrigerator, the Group Director of Communication, Godwin Avenorgbo, said, “this country would enjoy peace, become a business-friendly destination for investors willing to add to the nation’s growth and development process if journalists perform their duties as true patriots in nation-building”.
Mr. Avenorgbo stressed the fact that no society, institution, political system or governance system can be described as democratic without the supportive role of professional journalism practitioners; “probably a convincing reason why the profession is held in high esteem as the 4th Estate of the Realm”.
In speaking to Journalism profession as the art of gathering, assessing, creating and presenting news and information, the well-known broadcaster touched on key acts that make journalism different from other forms of communication-they are also the elements which make Journalism indispensable in the practice of democracy, as he emphasized that “even for coverage of political activities, all these elements must be applied scrupulously by professional journalists as duty bearers of the national course in our democratic dispensation.
Any deviation from these elements as our guide to unbiased service delivery can only serve the interests of detractors and ultimately be a disservice to the nation”.
The Editor of Daily Graphic, Theophilus Yateh who received the prize on behalf of the immediate past Editor of the Daily Graphic Kobby Asmah was grateful.
He finds the kind gesture by Melcom amazing and interesting, “and we are happy about it. I believe that this noble gesture will strengthen the relationship between us, Graphics and Melcom. Mr. Yateh believed that this kind gesture would not only be directed to graphics but to other media houses and would also continue to promote the course of journalism and help deepen the democracy in the country.
He also appealed to other young journalists to learn to excel and to also aspire to be the best in whatever area of journalism they have chosen of specialization in line with the global standard.