IFEJ to award journalists

The Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) has launched its 4th edition of the IFEJ Flamingo Awards for business and financial journalists in Accra.

Journalists, specifically, financial and economic reporters who write comprehensive and accurate business news, would be the beneficiaries of the IFEJ Flamingo Awards.

The IFEJ is a non-profit making organisation, and its President, Rayborn Bulley, said the consumer who reads business stories should be able to analyse and evaluate whatever business news they have read, irrespective of their backgrounds, hence, the need for a comprehensive report.

Delivering his opening remarks at the launch, Mr. Bulley explained that the organisation was looking forward to more entries this year.

For this reason, the IFEJ, he said, would invite members of the public to help inform and educate the listening and reading public on the of the award scheme.

The Guest Speaker for the occasion, Ken Thompson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dalex Financial Services, in his keynote address, expressed the appropriateness of this year’s theme: ‘Embracing Financial Inclusion and Innovation for Growth and Development.’

The theme, he explained, offers more hope for nominees and awardees, as the awards would be focused on financial inclusion.

The CEO for Dalex Financial Services, therefore, charged journalists to inculcate the habit of reading genuine financial books to educate and equip themselves with all the knowledge and information necessary to help them prepare and write essential news articles on business.

“Reading books will make you truthful…you will have sensible opinions with facts, and then you will have command of the English Language, where people, even the aged who are illiterates, will be able to comprehend when reading.

“People will be inspired to learn, and the face of financial journalism will change. Last, but not least, you will have ethics when you read varied books,” he added.

The organisers of the awards scheme expressed their outmost appreciation to all institutions and individual bodies like the Ghana Stock Exchange, National Investment Bank, Bank of Ghana, Accra Brewery, Voltic Mineral, and, most especially, the World Bank, for their immense support in helping to make their awards ceremony for the past years a great success.