Mabel is Journalist of the Year

A staff of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Ms Mabel Aku Baneseh, on Saturday emerged winner of the coveted PAV Ansah Journalist of the Year Award.

Ms Baneseh, a court reporter, whose dexterity and devotion in covering last year’s Supreme Court election petition won her praise also won the Court/Crime Reporting and Political Reporting awards.

The night and event that unfolded
On a glitzy night when culture, food, music and speeches flowed, the GCGL took its dominance of the annual awards to another level by sweeping 13 awards including the Promising Journalist of the Year, which went to Maxwell Adombilla Akalaare.

Other winners from GCGL were Maxwell Akalaare - Oil and Gas and Features (print); Kofi Yeboah - Education and Water Reporting; Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu - Small and Medium Enterprises; Seth J. Bokpe - Rural Reporting; Rebecca Kwei (The Mirror) – Millennium Development Goals; Samuel Tei Adano - Photojournalism and a joint award in Telecommunication for Seth J. Bokpe, Nana Konadu Agyeman and Akwesi Ampratwum Mensah.

The night did not lack surprises. A staff of TV Africa, Kwetey Nartey, momentarily stole the show as he went to the podium to receive four awards. This pepped up expectations that he could smile home with the ultimate.
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Even before the ultimate award was announced, Nartey’s friends and colleagues were ready for a victory lap. That however, was not to be. 

It was simply a night for Ms Baneseh who earlier had to endure hours of watching her colleagues climb up to receive their awards.  The waiting was long but it eventually paid off.

Probably dazed by her moment of glory, Ms Baneseh’s first few steps, for the symbolic crowning, nearly ended in a tumble but she recovered quickly enough to receive a royal handshake from Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, who was the guest speaker for the night.

Ms Baneseh  became the fourth female to win the Journalist of the Year Award following the foot prints of  Ms Peggy Ama Donkor of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Ms Elizabeth Ohene (Daily Graphic) and Ajoa Afari-Yeboah (The Mirror) —both veteran journalists.

Ms Baneseh’s story headlined “Judgement Day” and “Ghana’s Democracy scores first” among other stories, perhaps convinced the award jury to deliver the night’s verdict in her favour.

A citation accompanying the overall award described Ms Baneseh’s reports from the court as one that united the country.

On her night of honour, she stepped into the limelight wearing a green lace kaba and slit with a pink lining underneath as if to recount the battle of pink sheets that took centre stage during the 2012 election petition.

The 2013 Journalist of the Year dedicated the award to God, her family and all staff of the GCGL, especially the editorial team. She was full of praise for the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Ransford Tetteh and Mr Debrah Fynn for encouraging her to go into court reporting and mentoring her over the years.

She also paid glowing tribute to her husband for being a solid rock behind her and the baby-sitter while she was busy with her ink.

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Award winners
More than 38 journalists, media houses and sponsors received awards at the event.

From GBC, Arts and Entertainment went to Rebecca Awuah; Education Reporting (Electronic), Isabella Owusu Oppong; Photojournalism (electronic), Mark Sasu; Science Reporting, Rachel Quartey and Agric Reporting, Soyokuor Quarcoo Tchire.

Others are Kwetey Nartey (TV Africa), Investigative journalism, Business Finance and Economics, Reporting disability (electronic) and HIV/AIDS reporting; and from The Ghanaian Times, Dzifa Emma Tetteh, News Reporting, Print;  and John Vigah, Sports.  Lord Asante Fordjour, News Reporting (electronic) and Narkwor Kwabla (Feature), both of TV3.

From the Multimedia Group, the winners were Manasseh Azure Awuni, Anti-Corruption; Beatrice Adu, Health; Seth Kwame Boateng, Radio Feature;  a joint award in radio news reporting went to Seth Kwame Boateng and Azure while Gifty Andoh Appiah and a Frelance Journalist, Edem Srem received the Environment and Hygiene award.

The rest are Jamila Akweley Okerchire, (Daily Guide), Reporting Disability (Print); Nelson Adanutey (Diamond FM), Human Rights and Nana Boakye-Yiadom  (Citi FM) - Online Journalism. Visit our galleries for more photos