World Press Day to be celebrated on May three

Accra(Greater Accra) 27 April ?99

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), will observed this year's World Press Freedom Day on Monday, May three, with a flag-raising ceremony.

The ceremony, will be held at the Ghana International Press Centre under the theme, "GJA press freedom and political stability". It is being organised in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

A GJA statement issued in Accra on Monday and signed by the General-Secretary, Mr Bright Blewu, said the essence of commemorating the Day is to raise awareness among media practitioners, especially journalists, that they have both rights and responsibilities in the cause of their duty to promote and defend press freedom.

"Within the larger context, the commemoration of the Day is to draw public attention to the importance of ideal of press freedom.

"It is also to remind all, both government and the governed, that they have a moral responsibility to promote and defend it (press freedom) as one of the most essential requirements in the maintenance of human rights in any multi-party democracy".

The GJA, which celebrates its golden jubilee this year, has therefore decided to use the Day to focus on the impact of press freedom on the work of the media and overall national development since Ghana's independence, with emphasis on its relevance to political stability.

As a professional body engaged in the promotion of high journalistic standards and the defence and protection of press freedom, the GJA has since 1996, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, commemorated World Press Freedom Day