By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Sept. 30, GNA- The National Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has constituted the 27th Annual GJA Media Awards Committee.
A statement from the Association and issued to the Ghana News Agency, Accra on Friday said the nine-member committee, chaired by a former Director of Television at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Madam Betty Appau-Opong, would vet entries submitted by members and select winners in 34 categories for honours at this year’s media awards.
It said the awards up for grabs included the prestigious P. A. V. Ansah Journalist of the Year, Best Female Journalist of the Year, Most Promising Journalist of the Year and Best Student Journalist of the Year.
The 27th GJA Media Awards is scheduled for the Accra International Conference Centre on October 29, 2023.
Below are the Committee Members;
Chairperson: Madam Betty Appau-Opong is a former Director of Television at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). Before then, she rose through the ranks to become the Head of the Television Newsroom and was subsequently appointed as the first female Deputy Director of Television.
Madam Appau-Opong attended St. Mary’s Secondary School (now St Mary’s Senior High School). She holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and master’s degree in governance and leadership from GIMPA.
She has been a member of the GJA for decades and has great passion for GJA affairs. She is a three-time chairperson of the GJA Media Awards Committee and brings enormous experience to the job. She is very energetic and ambitious, having developed a mature, and responsible approach to any task she undertakes.
Mr George-Ramsey Benamba (Member): Mr Benamba has been practicing journalism for the past 30 years. He started his professional career as a Reporter at the Ghana News Agency and rose through the ranks to become Chief Editor.
Currently, Mr Benamba heads the Home (Sub) Desk. He has also worked in various capacities as Regional Correspondent, Parliamentary Correspondent and Presidential Correspondent.
Mr Benamba holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Hons) and Master of Arts in Public Affairs, both from the University of Ghana. He also has a certificate in Social and Pastoral Communication from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, Italy.
Nana Kofi Acquah (Member): He is a Pan-Africanist Ghanaian photographer, journalist, pastor, and activist known for championing women’s rights in Africa; and influencing and challenging perceptions on Africa.
Nana has covered assignments in more than 20 countries and still works actively across the globe.
In 1997, Nana Kofi joined Atlantic FM, University of Cape Coast, as a Radio Presenter. This was where he got introduced to journalism, and upon graduation, he joined Skyy Power FM in Takoradi.
In 2008, he became the West African Regional Coordinator for the African Voices Project; a Dutch-funded project that recruited and trained citizen journalists on how to report using a Nokia N73.
Nana Kofi was a jury for the World Press Photo Contest 2019 and recipient of the Tim Hetherington Foundation and World Press Photo Fellowship for his work.
In 2016, his photo was part of ten images presented in a handmade book as a gift from Instagram to the Pope at the Vatican; and he was recently listed by Shutterstock as one of the 100 photographers worth following on Instagram. Nana Kofi is an assignment photographer for Getty Images.
William A. Asiedu (Member): Mr Asiedu is the Head of News at 3FM 92.7, a brand of Media General, and Co-host of Sunrise Morning Show on the same network. Over the last 25 years, William has served as Staff Writer, The Mirror; Deputy Night Editor, Daily Graphic (both publications of the Graphic Communications Group Limited); Managing Editor, Daily Heritage, and Head of Digital, EIB Network. In the course of his professional career, he has covered the social, political, arts, culture, and tourism spaces extensively in Ghana and also participated in a number of programmes home and abroad. He is a five-time GJA award winner.
Mr Asiedu is a product of Achimota School and the Ghana Institute of Journalism. He is also an alumnus of the University of Ghana where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work with Political Science. He also holds Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the GIMPA Law School.
Mr Michael Quaye (Member): Mr Quaye is currently a Deputy News Editor of the Daily Graphic. Until April 2023, he was a Sub-Editor of the national daily, a position he had occupied since March 2019.
Mr Quaye has practiced full time since 2002 (21 years) with experience in both the print and electronic media.
He worked for the specialised Evening News (an erstwhile political newspaper published by the New Times Corporation) and Graphic Sports (a sports newspaper published by the Graphic Communications Group Limited).
Mr Quaye was also a regional correspondent for Graphic brands for five years, covering the Upper West Region between 2014 and 2019.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies.
Madam Joana Afua Mensah (Member): Madam Mensah has over 15 years experience in television and online news media.
She is a trained communications person with a wealth of experience in journalism and public relations. Currently, Madam Mensah is the News Editor of United Television (UTV), a position she has held since June 2013. Before joining UTV, she worked with television stations – ViaSat 1 and NET2 TV, and various online and print platforms.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies (First Class) (Hons) from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Wisconsin International University College, Ghana.
Madam Mensah received an ‘outstanding editor’ award at the 25th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards.
Mr Isaac Nuamah Yeboah (Member): Mr Nuamah Yeboah is the News Director for Atinka Media Village (AMV), which includes Atinka TV, Atinka 104.7 FM and Atinkaonline. His experience in journalism and corporate affairs spans 19 years.
In 2004, Mr Nuamah Yeboah began his professional career in journalism as an intern at the Independent and rose through the ranks to become the News Editor of the private newspaper.
In 2013, he became the Programme Officer in charge of Communication for the National Programme for the Elimination of Child Labor in Cocoa, an agency under the then Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.
In 2015, Mr Nuamah Yeboah joined the AMV family as the Online Editor and, subsequently, the News Editor.
He has a Diploma in Journalism and Bachelor’s degree in Management with Computing.
Madam Loretta Vanderpuye (Member): Madam Vanderpuye joined the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in 1989 and traveled through the ranks to arrive at her current position as the Regional Director of GBC (Obonu FM). She is an experienced broadcast journalist and television news reader and administrator. As a reporter, she focuses on environment, migration, women, children, and health issues.
She is very creative and possesses fine communication and administration skills gained from academic study.
Madam Vanderpuye has won many local and international awards in her professional career, including the CNN African Environmental Journalist of the Year (2002) and three GJA awards for Best News Reporter (Television) (2007), Best in News Reporter (Television) (2008) and Best Reporter on Disability Issues (2008). Also in 2008, she was honoured by the Akyem Abuakwa Tradition Council with the Okyeman Kanea Award.
She, has devoted her services to many endeavours, including serving as Co-president of the West African Media Network for Free Movement, Ghana, and a stint with the Television for Environment, (TVE) UK, in July 2006 to undertake research, produce and direct a feature on “Forced marriages in Ghana and the harm it does to women” under the ‘Why Women Count Series. She is a Fellow of Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC).
Madam Vanderpuye holds Masters in Public Administration from GIMPA and Diploma in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism. She is also a product of Achimota School and Ofori Panyin Secondary School.
Mr Fortune Alimi (Member): Mr Alimi is a practicing journalist of over 25 years of experience. He started his journalism career in Nigeria where he worked with a couple of media organisations.
He joined The Statesman in 1999 when he returned to Ghana, rising to the position of Chief Reporter.
Mr Alimi subsequently moved to Western Publications Limited, publishers of the Daily Guide, in 2004, where he rose to the position of Editor from 2006 to 2019. He was subsequently elevated to the position of Executive Editor of Daily Guide Network (DGN) as the group editorial head.
Mr Alimi holds a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from the prestigious School of Communication Studies (now Department of Communication Studies), University of Ghana, Legon.
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