Government and Media commission to set up media fund- Vice President

Accra, Sept. 10, GNA- Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Friday announced that government in collaboration with the National Media Commission would soon set up a media fund enhance in-house training programmes for Journalists.

He said, when established, the Commission would consider applications from managements of various media houses before disbursing the fund based on needs. Vice President Mahama announced this during the 16th Ghana Journalists Association awards under the theme: 93Giving impetus to democracy and development in Africa: The role of investigative Journalism."

In all, 34 individuals and media organizations were awarded in various categories and for their sterling contributions to the development and growth of Journalism in the country. Mr. Kwaku Owusu Peprah, a reporter of Joy FM, a private Accra-based radio station, emerged as the overall best Journalist of the year 2010.

Vice President Mahama said although most Ghanaian journalists were effectively carrying out their watchdog role, there were others who engaged in misinformation and called on the Ghana Journalists Association and the National Media Commission to step up their supervisory role to ensure that they complied with their professional code of ethics.

He said government was also considering the option of making the National Media Commission a permanent one like the National Commission on Civic Education and Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to make it more functional.

Vice President Mahama also urged Journalists to unite Ghanaians through their articles, rather than inciting polarization with what he described as 93verbal grenades".

Mr John Tia Akologu, Minister of Information, called on Journalists to raise their bar of performance in order not to create political problems in the 2012 general election. "You need to guard against half truths, stakes are high and standards must be higher to enable us grow above partisan politics." He commended the winners and appealed to others to exhibit a high level of professionalism that would enhance socio-economic development. Mr Karal Blay-Amihere, Chairman of the National Media Commission called for appropriate resourcing of the commission to enable them to carry out its constitutional mandate.