The Media in the Bono Region last Monday joined their colleagues elsewhere to mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day, a day set aside to observe and inform the international community that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights.
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day or just World Press Day, observed to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Bono Regional edition of the celebration, which took place in Sunyani, was held under the theme: “Overcoming barriers to accessing information in the era of AI.
The occasion was also used to launch the third edition of the Bono, Ahafo and Bono East Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) annual awards, which recognize hardworking journalists for their outstanding work.
Addressing the program, a former Regional Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Dr. Leonard Victor Amengor, noted that the media’s work goes beyond providing information, education and entertainment.
Sublime goals
“Let us move on from the basics that we have been engaged in and move on to higher and more sublime efforts, more sublime goals and objectives of the use of the media for the sake of the development of our people and our nation, our continent and the black race everywhere”, he admonished.
He charged the media to stand up and lead the fight for the total mental emancipation of the African and the entire black race.
Dr. Amengor further entreated journalists to make efforts to upgrade themselves academically saying: “Let us strive to improve on our intellectual capacity by reading wide and pursuing further studies. Be in a better position to decipher, analyze issues that come up and you will not be taken for granted.”
Regional GJA awards
Touching on this year’s regional GJA awards, Dr. Amengor, who is the Chairman of the Awards Committee, explained that all journalists in Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions are eligible for the various categories of the awards program.
The award categories, he mentioned, are the Best Political report, Best Sports report, Best Business report, Best Court/Judiciary report, Best Investigative report, Best Developmental report, Best Socio-economic report, Best Cultural/Traditional report, Best Morning Show Program, Best Education/Academic report, Best Features/Write up, Best Entertainment report, Best Agriculture & Food report and the Over-all Best Journalist Award.
Democratic values
For his part, the Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, acknowledged the critical role of the media in upholding Ghana’s democracy, transparency and rule of law.
He said the indispensable role of journalists and media practitioners in safeguarding the country’s democratic values cannot be overemphasized.
“The media is not only the watchdogs of our society but also a bridge between the government and the people”. the Regional Minister further said.
Access to information
Earlier in her welcome address, the Acting Bono Regional Chairperson of the GJA, Mrs. Regina Benneh Siaw, noted that the theme for the occasion highlights the challenges and opportunities in today’s digital landscape, saying: As journalists, we rely on access to information to tell stories that shape our world.
“However, there are barriers to accessing information due to the lack of transparency by governments across the world and other hurdles such as misinformation and disinformation as well as legal restrictions and censorship”, she added.
These barriers, she said, can hinder the ability of journalists to gather information and report accurately to the public.
She called on journalists to work together to overcome barriers that hinder them from working in this era of Artificial Intelligence to promote press freedom and hold those who have been elected to serve the people accountable.
The Acting GJA Regional Chairperson also said the emergence of Artificial Intelligence presents both solutions and new challenges, requiring careful consideration by users.
Mrs. Benneh Siaw called for transparency and accountability by both government and governmental institutions, media literacy and critical thinking to assist media men to harness AI to enhance the practice of journalism in Ghana.
