The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has opened entries for the 30th GJA Media Awards, with two new categories introduced and the Best Female Journalist of the Year category scrapped.
The two new categories are the Bank of Ghana Governor’s Economic and Financial Story of the Year and the Best Digital and New Media Platform of the Year.
Entries for the awards opened on Thursday, (September 3) and will close on Friday (September 18) at 11:59 p.m.
The awards, scheduled to be held in Accra in October this year to mark the 30th anniversary, will feature a special programme to celebrate the achievements of Ghanaian journalists and the contribution of the media to national development.
Participation is open strictly to GJA members in good standing, with eligible applicants required to submit works published or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
All entries are to be submitted online through the newly developed GJA website, www.gjaghana.com.
The President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, who announced this at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday (September 3), said the changes followed recommendations and suggestions from members as part of efforts to make the awards more relevant to the changing media environment.
Digital journalism recognised
He said the Best Digital and New Media Platform of the Year category was introduced to recognise journalists and media platforms operating in the digital space.
“We are in the new media, the era of digitalisation and digitisation. There’s a need for us to appreciate our colleagues who are also doing or discharging their job in that space,” he said.
Mr Dwumfuor said the award would focus on credible digital and new media platforms and not platforms known for spreading false information.
“We want to recognise the credible or best digital and new media platform, not those propagating falsehood and fake news,” he said.
He said the GJA had, over the past three years, engaged new media practitioners through training and capacity-building programmes to strengthen their professional work.
New categories
On the Bank of Ghana Governor’s Economic and Financial Story of the Year, he said the new category followed an agreement between the GJA and the Bank of Ghana.
He described the partnership as a long-term arrangement, saying, “the Bank of Ghana is going to be a long-standing partner of the GJA in the organisation of the awards.”
Mr Dwumfuor said the review also resulted in the removal of the Best Female Journalist of the Year category, which had been part of the awards for several years.
Explaining the decision, he said the female category was originally introduced to promote gender balance at a time when the overall Journalist of the Year award was predominantly won by male journalists.
“In the past, we realised that the Journalist of the Year, which is the ultimate award, was going to only the male journalists. And so, there was a need for us to create the Female Journalist of the Year,” he said.
He said the situation had changed in recent years, with a number of female journalists winning the overall award.
“And so, if they are now competing with the males, why do we still leave the Female Journalist of the Year?” he asked.
He said retaining the female category could result in a female journalist winning both the female award and the overall Journalist of the Year award.
Deadline for entries
Mr Dwumfuor stressed that there would be no extension of the deadline, explaining that the 30th anniversary edition would have a packed programme.
He said participation was open strictly to GJA members in good standing, with eligible applicants required to submit works published or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
New GJA website
The GJA has also unveiled a new official website as part of efforts to improve communication, access to information and engagement with journalists, members and the general public.
Mr Dwumfuor said the website would serve as the new digital home of the association.
“The new website represents an important milestone in the association’s ongoing digital transformation,” he said.
He said the platform would provide a central source of official information on the GJA’s programmes, activities, policies, advocacy initiatives and other matters concerning journalists.
He added that it would also feature statements, press releases, training opportunities, events, membership-related information, media development initiatives, journalist safety and press freedom advocacy.
Mr Dwumfuor said the platform would also provide government institutions, development partners, diplomatic missions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders with direct access to information about the GJA.
“We are just unveiling the platform to receive this year’s entries to test the robustness of the platform. Then it will be duly launched,” he said.
Digital services for members
The GJA President also announced plans to move several of the association’s services online.
He said members would also be able to check their status through the website, including whether they were in good standing.
“Once you go to the website, you click on members. If you are in good standing, you know. If you are not, you know,” he said.
Mr Dwumfuor said members whose payment records were not accurately reflected would also be able to lodge complaints through the platform.
He said the GJA intended to move towards a paperless and cashless system, with plans to introduce online booking for its conference facilities.
“We are going fully digital and so we need your support. We need your cooperation to do this,” he said.
