By Stephen Asante
Accra, Jan. 27, GNA – Mr. Albert Kofi Owusu, General Manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has said that the Agency’s new cooperation agreement with the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP) would provide a significant boost for professional development.
He explained that the partnership with MAP would pave the way for innovations, particularly in news development, including the exchange of ideas and experiences, modern news trends, fact-checking, and the use of AI technology in journalism.
The GNA-MAP cooperation agreement was recently signed at the Eighth General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) in Salé, Morocco.
Other participating news agencies, such as the Burkina Faso Information Agency (AIB), Gabon Press Agency (AGP), Liberia News Agency (LINA), Mali News Agency (AMAP), São Tomé and Príncipe Press Agency (STP-Press), Senegalese Press Agency (APS), and Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA), also signed similar agreements with MAP.
The goal of these agreements is to strengthen professional relationships through the exchange of expertise, experience, training, visits, and editorial services, including newsletters, photos, audio, videos, and computer graphics.
Mr. Owusu said he was excited about the strategic partnership between the GNA and MAP, adding that the Agency would work to maintain the progress achieved through the collaboration.
He said that the relationship between the two institutions had provided a valuable platform for training journalists in various areas over the years, including sports, gender issues, and socio-economic and news development.
The GNA, established on March 5, 1957, just before Ghana’s independence, was tasked with delivering truthful and unbiased news. It was the first news agency founded in sub-Saharan Africa, with the vision of becoming the leading source of news and information on Ghana, Africa, and the world.
The agency played a key role in a broader communication policy aimed at leveraging the state’s information capabilities to build a unified, viable, and cohesive nation.
In line with its mandate, the GNA has continually worked to mobilize citizens for nation-building, economic and social development, and national unity and integration.
The Eighth FAAPA General Assembly, themed “African Press Agencies as Vehicles for Promoting the Continent’s Health Sovereignty,” focused on strategies to enhance African health sovereignty and better prepare for future challenges.
The two-day Assembly brought together Directors-General from several African news agencies, media, and health experts, as well as distinguished personalities from various fields.
The event also commemorated the 10th anniversary of FAAPA’s founding, offering a platform to reflect on the future of African news agencies and their role in the 21st century, particularly considering their diversity and unique characteristics.
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