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Journalists
to mobilize societies for development - President Kufuor
Accra, July 20, Ghanadot/GNA – President John Agyekum Kufuor,
on Saturday said the only way the media in Africa could
justifiably lay claim to their watchdog role was for them to
share with governments the responsibility of ensuring that
the opportunities for development were widespread and
maximized across the continent.
“With the support of a vibrant and responsible media to
mobilize the
various societies behind respective national programmes,
appreciable progress can still be made in achieving our
development goals as nations and as a continent,” he said.
He made the statement in a special message to the award
winners of the CNN, Multichoice African Journalists Awards
2008.
The awards, jointly organized by CNN, Multichoice and
Ghanaian-based Global Media Alliance, of which the Executive
Chairman, is also the founder of the awards, saw 17 out of
23 nominees from 14 African countries awarded in 16
categories.
The final 23 were selected from almost 2,000 entries from 44
African countries, the highest number of entries since the
inception of the awards.
Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono, a television documentary maker
from Zimbabwe won the Overall CNN, Multichoice African
Journalist of the Year Award. He also won the Henry J.
Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
reporting.
Ghana’s Israel Laryea of Joy FM won the Radio General News
Award and the Environment Award went to Emmanuel Mayah of
Nigeria.
In his message, the President noted that most African
countries were behind in their efforts to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the close of 2015,
but the media could support their countries in making
appreciable progress by mobilizing the various societies
behind the various national programmes.
“In Africa, it is unlikely that, all countries will achieve
all of the MDGs by the target date. However, with the
support of a vibrant and responsible media to mobilize the
various societies behind respective national programmes,
appreciable progress can still be made in achieving the MDGs,”
he said.
President Kufuor said beyond political reporting, media
practitioners were challenged to develop expertise in
technical areas such as technology, energy, telecom,
transportation, agriculture, healthcare delivery, tourism
and cultural integration to give impetus and confidence to
both investors and the peoples of the continent, to
facilitate the realization of development objectives as
contained in the NEPAD.
“Media practitioners need to educate themselves properly in
the areas that affect the development of their nations in
other that, they will play their role as the fourth estate
of the realm more effectively,” he said.
He described the media as truly an estate of the realm,
saying that with the recent technological advance in
information dissemination where information could go round
the world spontaneously, the media had such inordinate
influence and power at its disposal.
President Kufuor implored the media to be circumspect and
responsible in their reportage on issues about the continent
and determine to use their power in the interest of their
societies instead of for disruptive and destructive
purposes.
He called for the establishment of appropriate institutional
and regulatory framework and systems at the national and
international levels, including training, to guarantee
uniform values, standards and disciplines of professional
practice with requisite sanctions for any lapses.
“In that same vein those media practitioners who perform
exceptionally, must be rewarded accordingly,” he said.
The rest of the award winners were Deji Badmus, Nigeria - TV
General News Bulletin, Peter Moyo, South Africa – TV General
News – Current Affairs, Barbara Angopa, Uganda – Arts and
Culture Award, Marjorie Copeland, South Africa – Best
Feature in Consumer Magazine, John Grobler, Namibia –
Economic and Business and Richard Mgamba, Tanzania – Print
General News.
Others were Fernando Lima, Mozambique – Portuguese Language
General News, Mutwiri Mutuota, Kenya – Sports Award, Evaline
Ngono, Cameroon, Tourism Award, Koumoureoua Issa Napon of
Burkina Faso won the electronic category of the Franchophone
General News Award, whiles Nassima Oulebsir won the print
category of the same award.
Winner of the Health and Medical Award, Bamuturaki Musinguzi
was dressed in his traditional Ugandan regalia, which
exposed his bear chest and legs to the amusement of the
august audience, but Boniface Mwangi from Kenya, winner of
the Mohamed Amin Photography Award wept and got some guests
sobbing too when he told the sad story of how he shot
pictures of children left at the mercy of wild dogs whiles
security officers looked on and laughed.
The Free Press award went to Seyhoum Tsehaye of Eritrea, but
his wife did him the honours because Seyhoum is in jail for
daring to report that some journalists and politicians he
previously met in jail were incarcerated without trial.
The awards night, co-hosted by famous Kenyan CNN Anchor Zain
Vergee and Soni Irabor of African Independent Television,
Nigeria, was for the first time in its history, telecast
live on free television, GTV and Metro TV in Ghana and was
also recorded for later telecast in 40 other countries,
including the US and the UK.
GNA/REA
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