The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) will mark its 75th anniversary on Thursday, August 15, 2024, with a celebration centred on the future of journalism in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The event, which will take place at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, will feature commemorative lectures and the cutting of an anniversary cake, as the GJA reflects on its rich history while looking ahead to the future of the profession.
The theme for the 75th-anniversary celebration is “75 Years of Excellence in Journalism: Honouring the Past, Embracing the Present, and Shaping the Future.”
Kofi Yeboah, the General Secretary of the GJA in a statement indicated that as part of the festivities, a conference focused on “AI and the Future of Journalism” will begin at 4:00 p.m., setting the stage for a forward-looking discussion on the impact of AI on the media landscape in Ghana.
The commemorative lectures will be delivered by Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, an IT expert and General Manager of External Communications at the Electricity Company of Ghana, and Ethel Cofie, Founder and CEO of Edel Technology Consulting. They will explore the intersection of AI and journalism, offering insights into how new technologies can transform media practices.
Baaba Cofie, Acting Dean of the School of Communication Studies at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, will chair the event.
The Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, will be the Special Guest of Honour, while Omar Faruk Osman, President of the Federation of Africa Journalists (FAJ), will serve as the Guest Speaker.
The celebration will also see the attendance of several high-profile dignitaries, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, members of the Diplomatic Corps, past GJA national executive members, heads of media institutions, and media partners.
The event promises to be an evening of reflection and refreshment, with performances by the Ghana Police Band and the a cappella group Alabaster Box.
The GJA was founded on August 15, 1949, at the height of Ghana’s struggle for independence. Over the past 75 years, the association has played a pivotal role in promoting press freedom, freedom of expression, and the protection of journalists.
Kofi Yeboah noted that after 75 years of its birth and helping to secure Ghana’s independence, the GJA and the media are still battling for freedom – freedom of the media, freedom of expression, freedom from obnoxious laws, freedom from persecution and freedom from physical attacks – even in a democratic dispensation.
The Association, he said, remains committed to advocating for a free and independent press, while also preparing for the future challenges that the journalism profession may face in the digital age.