GRi institutes journalist foundation

London, August 28, GRi- Ghana Review International (GRi), the London-based magazine on Ghana, has announced a foundation that will offer training to a promising Ghanaian journalist every year in London.

To be known as "Help a Journalist," the foundation is aimed at attaining excellence in journalism and will be awarded to a journalist in the electronic media, as determined by the Ghana Journalists Association.

"We believe that if we train one journalist, we train a million readers to have access to factual and relevant information to help to educate, inform and entertain," Nana Otuo Acheampong, Publisher and Chief Executive of GRi, said at a Thanks-giving service to mark the fifth anniversary celebration of the magazine.

Nana Acheampong said part of the proceeds from a concert to be held next Saturday, September 2, as part of the anniversary, will go into the foundation adding: "Any enterprise which takes from society, puts some back."

He said the magazine, which started on the internet as a forum for exchanging ideas among Ghanaians, has grown to become the foremost magazine on Ghana with over 150,000 readership worldwide.

GRi which is published monthly, provides news, reviews and analysis on politics and national development, business, economics and finance, sports, and arts and culture.

"The birth of GRi magazine enabled us to satisfy the information, education and entertainment needs of Ghanaians and friends of Ghana in both the diaspora and indeed back home in Ghana.

"GRi set out to offer an independent, apolitical, factual news about Ghana and has since served as the flagship of news on Ghana," Nana Acheampong said.

Micro-media Consultants Limited, publishers of GRi also prints "Home Sweet Home" which focuses on lifestyles, fashion and entertainment. Its internet service, which is free of charge, has about one million hits a month.

Mr J.E.K. Aggrey-Orleans, Ghana's High Commissioner in London, commended the efforts of the publishers and urged them to strive for excellence in their reportage.

Mr Aggrey-Orleans said it is important for journalists to perform the balancing the act in order to present all shades of opinion in society.

News publications are not aimed at presenting only one side of the story. Often, they may publish things that we disagree with, but that is part of the process of reporting the other side of the story, he said.

"It is important for us to know that not everything published reflects the opinion or beliefs of the publishers.

"Some things are said because they must be said. How we say it, however, counts a lot and we must learn to present issues in way that they do not unnecessarily malign others. It takes time for a news organisation to reach a level at which it is accepted by all.

"I believe that with our current democratic dispensation and the nurturing of our ability to be tolerant of one another, we will soon reach that level of excellence where the media is appreciated by all," Mr Aggrey-Orleans said.

Reverend Father James Eninn, Head of the Ghanaian Catholic Chaplaincy in London, said the success of the magazine is evidence of the hard work and professionalism of its management and staff.

"The progress confirms the use of the talents as told in the Gospel story, therefore each one of us should carefully make use of whatever talents God has given them."

Father Eninn said the human person cannot live in isolation and it is part of the duties of the media to enhance the culture of people by giving true information as against propaganda.

"The Church exhorts Christians as citizens to perform their duties faithfully in the spirit of the Gospels.

"As Christian laity, the Church expects you to help shape the future of your individual countries, to contribute to their development in some particular sphere," Reverend Eninn said and urged the media to help to propagate the Gospel.

The concert dubbed "The Highlife and Hip-life Sunsplash" will feature Highlife superstar Amakye-Dede and his Apollo High Kings, as well as rap artistes Tic-Tac and Obrafuo.

The concert will tour Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium as part of GRi's fifth anniversary celebrations.

The celebrations will be rounded off by a Ms Ghana-Europe contest in London, in January, 2000.