The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) will honour 24 distinguished individuals and institutions for championing press freedom and the cause of the GJA over the years as it commemorates this year’s World Press Freedom Day (WPFD).
The event, a marked departure from the annual daytime flag-raising ceremony at the Forecourt of the Ghana International Press Centre to commemorate WPFD, will be held this evening, at the Alisa Hotel, North Ridge, at 6 p.m, a statement issued by the association and signed by its General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, said.
“It is an innovation designed to use the occasion of WPFD to recognise and honour the recipients, with President John Dramani Mahama as the Special Guest of Honour, with Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, media partners and media practitioners in attendance,” it added.
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The first category of honorees, the statement said, would consist of individuals who had made significant contributions to the promotion of press freedom in Ghana over the years.
They are Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, Gifty Affenyi Dadzie and Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, all former GJA presidents; Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Chief Policy Analyst, Ghana Institute of Public Policy Options (GIPPO); Prof. Kwame Karikari, media and communications expert; Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Managing Editor, The Insight, Elizabeth Ohene, former Editor of the Daily Graphic, and Ben Ephson Jnr, Managing Editor, Daily Despatch.
The second category of honorees is made up of individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of the media in Ghana over the years.
They are Sir Sam Jonah, international business expert; Bright Blewu, former GJA General Secretary; Kwasi Afriyie Badu, lawyer; Cameron Duodu, renowned journalist; Chief Dr Crystal Djirakor, founder of Crystal TV, and Wilna and Alex Quarmyne, founders of Ada Radio.
The Embassy of the United States of America in Accra, Unilever Ghana Limited, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Electoral Commission, Innolink Ghana Limited, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and Abrantie Amakye Dede, a renowned highlife musician, are to be honoured for their dedicated support to the GJA.
For their dedicated support to the current administration, even at critical moments, Alex Dadey, Group Chairman of KGL Group of Companies; Dr Paul Kofi Fynn, Chancellor of Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, and adb Bank, will also be honoured.
National theme
The national theme for the commemoration of WPFD 2025 is: “Celebrating champions of press freedom and Ghana’s media growth; building a resilient media in the AI era”.
Globally, WPFD is commemorated on May 3, and this year, the global theme for the occasion is: “Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media”.
The statement expressed the gratitude of the GJA National Executive to KGL Group of Companies, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the National Communication Authority (NCA), the Ghana Gold Board, the National Petroleum Authority, and the National Security for supporting the event.
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