Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards Competition, to promote high journalistic standards and reward members who excelled in their performance was launched in Accra on Friday.

The competition is opened to members working in the print media (News Agency inclusive), electronic and on-line media in Ghana and entries cover works published between January-December 2011.

The awards ceremony has grown from a modest number of six awards during its maiden edition in 1985 to 46 in 2011, and the awards covered all subjects.

Mr Ransford Tetteh, President of GJA, launching the competition, said it was a reflection of the growth of the Ghanaian media and efforts by the GJA to encourage specialisation.

“The competition has not only been growing in size and stature. We are convinced that it has been helping to motivate journalists in Ghana and indeed the Ghanaian media to aspire to higher standards,” he said.

He said thorough examination of winners, especially of the flagship award in the last decade indicated that there had been a growing emphasis on issues of development journalism concerning award-winning stories.

Mr Tetteh said they had noted an increase in both numbers and quality of radio and television features by which journalists were able to highlight the joys and ordeals, and the failures and achievements of the ordinary people.

“Whether it is ‘Dying to be Mothers’ or ‘Shelter in the City’, the media this way is raising issues and challenges confronting development and helping to find solution to them,” he added.

Category one awards – News Reporting and Features, there are separate awards for Radio, Television and Print.

Category two awards comprised Investigative Reporting, Photo journalism, Sports, Arts/Entertainment and Domestic Tourism, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu Award for Business/Finance and Economic Reporting, Small and Micro Scale Enterprises (SMEs), Environment, Health, HIV and AIDS, Rural Reporting, Developmental Journalism for furthering Millennium Development Goals, Parliamentary Reporting, Human Rights (with focus on Child Rights).

The rest are Political Reporting, Crime and Court Reporting, Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene, Disability, Telecommunications, On-line Journalism, Anti-Corruption, Education, Science, Oil and Gas Sector, Anti-Narcotics, Social Security, Agriculture and Water, for both Print and Electronic Media.

Categories three, four, five and six which comprise of Columnist, Cartoonist for print media, Democracy and peace-building, Best layout and designed newspaper, Best rural radio station, Radio/TV programme in local dialects, Most Promising Young Journalist, and Journalist of the Year entries would be considered alongside nominations by the public, including journalists/media practitioners, and would be expected to give reasons for their nomination in not more than 120 words.

Mr Tetteh said that role should be seen as a responsibility to help nurture excellence in the Ghanaian media, and congratulated Ghanaians on their contributions to the GJA Awards and the establishment of the freedom of speech and press freedom in Ghana.

“That is what the Ghanaian Constitution requires them to do. But there is no doubt that without the collective display of forbearance towards free expression by the general public, the Ghanaian media could not have made the progress that they have made.

“We specifically want to thank corporate Ghana, private individuals, government departments and agencies, especially the main and major sponsors that have helped to sustain the GJA awards,” he said.

Entrants might submit entries for all categories but not more than three published works should be submitted for any category however one work should not be entered in more than one category.

The deadline for the submission of entries is Monday, May 7.**