GIJ to offer MA in Investigative Journalism

The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) is inviting organisations across the globe to partner the institution in soliciting grants to sponsor the introduction of a Master of Arts (MA) programme in Investigative Journalism.

The programme, the first if its kind to be run in the country, will equip and produced professional and motivated journalists to take advantage of the passage of the Right to Information Law to help fight corruption and various abuses in the public sphere.

Professor Kwabena Kwansah-Aidoo, the Rector of GIJ, announced this in Accra at the second session of the 13th Congregation for School of Graduate Studies and Research.

In all, a total number of 230 students graduated in master's programme after completing MAs in Journalism, Public Relations, Development Communication and Media Management in the 2018/2019 academic year.

The Rector said the Governing Council of the Institute is preparing to add a Master's programme in Environmental Communication and Political Communication and Marketing to augment the postgraduate portfolios.

He said the Institute in May 2019, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Food and Agricultural Organisation to work through the media to tackle issues of environmental pollution, food security and biodiversity.

The partnership, according to the Rector, was an innovation to contribute to the environmental sustainability campaign by both the state and development organisations as well as civil society groups.

The Institute and the University of Professional Studies, Accra has also signed a partnership with the NLA University College of Norway to participate in a three-year Mobility Exchange Programme.

The programme involves exchange of students and lecturers between GIJ and NLA University.

The first GIJ students to participate in this year's Spring Term(January to April) left the country in January.

Touching on students financial aid, Prof Kwansah-Aidoo said, GIJ Council in 2019 approved the 'The GIJ Fund Scholarship', meant to help cover the tuition of brilliant undergraduate students who are facing demonstrable financial challenges.

On the practice of Journalism in the country, Prof Kwansah-Aidoo condemned attacks on journalists that sought to undermine the freedom of the media, cautioning journalists to be professional in executing their functions.

He said the proposed merger of GIJ, the National Film and Television Institute and the Ghana Institute of Languages was on course, stressing that the collaboration would build on the synergies offered by the various institutions.

"We are preparing ourselves to leverage the opportunities and challenges that will emanate from the proposed merger and play a leadership role in enhancing management of programmes, teaching and research effectiveness", he said.

He urged the graduates to be agents of change in their various workplaces and institutions of higher learning and uphold the tenets of the profession.

Madam Beatrice Agyemang, the Chief Executive Officer, Media General, commended the graduates for their hard work and urged them to impact positively the knowledge they acquired to transform society and the nation as a whole.

She urged the graduates to adopt a new culture of communication borne out of investigations and fast checking to distinguish their service and soberly think of the solutions to the problems confronting the country.

She asked them to desist from being overly sensational with their reports and urged them to form a consortium to deliberate and find innovative ways to the country's economic activities at all levels of our national lives.

Mr Dominic Awini Asitanga emerged the overall best student across all communication disciples and best student in Media Management; Mr Abdulai Asam Zig-Naa won the best student in Journalism, Ms Akosua Ampofowah Boahen won the best student in Public Relations while Ms Patience Kokowa Otto took the best student in Development Communication.