GPHA’s Kennedy Mornah graduates from RMU; calls for specialization in media landscape

A Principal Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer at the Marketing and Corporate Affairs Department of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Mr. Kennedy Banung-Kae Mornah has graduated from the Regional Maritime University with a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in Ports and Shipping Administration.

This was during the 18th Congregation of the University which took place on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at the School’s premises in Nungua, Accra.

This is Mr. Mornah’s second Masters’ Degree, following his graduation in 2021, from the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), formally, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with an MA in Public Relations (PR).

Speaking during an interaction with the media on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony, Mr. Mornah reiterated an earlier call he made in the year 2017 when he won the Reporter of the Year Award at the Ghana Shippers’ Awards, for media practitioners to specialize.

According to Mr. Mornah who is also the Founder and Managing Editor of Online News Portal BestNewsGH.com and host of Eye on Port, a specialized Maritime programme aired on Metropolitan Television (Metro TV) and Ghana Television (GTV) and Powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Maritime Industry is grossly under reported and requires deliberate attention from selfless, committed and dedicated reporters who will follow the news no matter where it is and serve it as accurately and factually as possible.

He averred that the time when Journalists became Jacks of all trades and masters of none, must give way to an era of specialization where they choose particular sectors they want to report in, and specialize in those sectors.

‘’My graduation from the RMU today is a culmination of dedication, commitment, hard work and the zeal to make an impact in the industry. It is a calculated step to satisfy my quest for specialization in the industry. I recall in 2017 when I won the Reporter of the Year Award at the Ghana Shippers’ Awards, when the media interviewed me, I was clear and explicit in my conviction that we needed to specialize if we were to make a mark in the industry. So it has always been my desire to seek more knowledge in the industry so as to broaden my horizon and enhance my appreciation, comprehension and understanding of the Maritime industry,’’ he pointed out.

Mr. Mornah who is the first Ghanaian to introduce a specialized news bulletin on Radio for the Maritime Industry (Maritime and Port News) on Accra based Oman Fm several years ago, intimated that the shipping industry is big and dynamic and requires focus from journalists who are committed to covering the sector. He commended the Port Journalists Network, a group made up of journalists who report and cover the industry for the initiative, urging them to strive to take up courses in the sector to upgrade their knowledge on emerging trends in the industry.

He also urged Agencies in the sector, both public and private, as well as stakeholders to consider sponsoring media personnel as they seek support and assistance to upgrade their knowledge and expertise in the industry.

Mr. Mornah expressed gratitude to his organization, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, his superiors and colleagues, his family, friends, faculty and all those who in diverse ways contributed to the realization of the goal of studying for, and graduating with an MA in Ports and Shipping Administration.