Make efforts to improve your professional knowledge - Boadu-Ayeboafoh tells journalists

A former Editor of the Daily Graphic, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, has urged journalists and media practitioners to be intentional in improving their knowledge and skills to enhance their professional work.

“As journalists, you must actively participate in training programmes aimed at enhancing your knowledge and competency level to effectively and efficiently deliver on your mandate”,  he said.

Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who is also a former Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), gave the advice at the swearing-in ceremony of the elected Ashanti Regional executives of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Kumasi.

He said the most important thing that media professionals could do for themselves was to spend money to build their capacity to excel in their chosen field, stressing, “Let us be interested and intentional in learning anything about our profession to be able to distinguish ourselves”.

“If you fail to educate yourself, even people who do not understand the intricacies of the journalism career will teach you how to do what you have been trained to do.

You must act now, as nobody can take the knowledge you acquire from you,” he told the journalists at the event.

Media attacks

Mr Ayeboafoh condemned attacks often meted out to journalists in the discharge of their duties by security personnel and described such actions as being against the freedom of the media as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

While indicating that the media exist to make the government accountable, he called for stronger collaboration and understanding between the media and the security agencies, saying,

“This will enable the media to know why they should avoid stories that tend to threaten national security”.
GJA constitution

Further, he encouraged members of the GJA to read the association’s constitution and code of ethics, as it would guide them to perform professionally and ethically at all times as the fourth estate of the realm.

By doing so, other people outside the profession would not have the temerity to chastise journalists because they seem not to know the tenets of their profession, stressing “I urge you to let that be a thing of the past by being abreast of the workings of the media work”.

Pivotal role

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Teye Cudjoe, said the media continued to play a pivotal role in shaping opinions and supporting the nation’s democratic practice.

He said the police service remained committed to fostering a stronger and mutually beneficial relationship with the media towards crime prevention and public safety for the benefit of all.

Diversity

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, who also spoke at the event, said the region was big with a lot of diversity, which had its unique advantages and disadvantages.

As a result, he called on the media to partner the government in all sectors of the region’s development, saying, “We will work with the media to drive the development goals of the region 

or the benefit of the people”.

Further, he assured the new regional leadership of the GJA of the coordinating council’s support in their tenure and also pledged to assist them in securing an office space to operate from to enhance their operations.

On the takeover of a land donated to the association some years ago to enable them to construct a permanent office, Dr Amoakohene entreated the leadership to write formally to the RCC to follow up on it.

Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.