Mr Affail Monney, Vice President of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), on Wednesday called on media practitioners to erase the negative perception about their performance and overcome the challenges confronting them.
He said it was their responsibility to improve on their performance and live up to public expectation, because the growing public perception in recent times of un-professionalism and corruption in the Ghanaian media had left much to be desired.
"We in the media must do all we can to erase this negative perception and overcome the challenges that confront us," he said.
Mr Monney made the call at the opening session of a three-day training workshop under the theme: "Improving Ethics and Professional Standards in Journalism" in Accra.
About 30 media practitioners are attending the workshop being organised by the GJA and sponsored by the West Africa Journalists Association (WAJA) under its Capacity Building Project (CBP).
Topics to be treated would include Newsroom management, Ethics in Journalism, the Journalits/Media versus the Law and media Ethics and Professionalism for the Enhancement of Democracy.
Mr Monney was hopeful that the workshop, other actions and activities that had been planned would provide media practitioners time for sober reflections so that collectively as professionals re-affirm their commitment
to the ethics of the profession.
"It is the only way we can re-assure the public of our determination to play our watchdog role in the society without fear or favour" he added.
Mr Monney said media practitioners should ensure accuracy, balance and fairness in their work and provide comprehensive information to enable the citizenry make informed choice and decisions.
He said the workshop would help create awareness on the need for media practitioners to strive without compromise and any inducement to improve on ethics and professionalism.
Mr Maigari Chamsou, a representative of WAJA-Capacity Building Project (WAJA-CBP) said since its inception in 2007, it had organised workshops to train 480 journalists on ethics and basic journalism skills.
In addition, it had organised six regional training workshop on elections coverage, investigative journalism in extractive industries area, journalism and human rights protection and collective bargaining agreement.
Mr Maigari said under the project manuals and reporter's guides had been printed for the coverage of elections, extractive industries
activities, judicial news and WAJA Code of Ethics in three languages English, French, and Portuguese.
He said WAJA-CBP which started its activities in 2007 had three main
components training, defence of press freedom, publication and dissemination
of information. Mr Maigari said WAJA-CBP was being assisted by the African Capacity
Building Foundation (ACBF) to reinforce professional capacities of the media to promote democracy, ensure participatory governance and transparency in ECOWAS member states.
He announced that a WAJA-CBP safe house located in Bamako had been a haven for journalists in distress from Niger, Guinea and Gambia.
Mr Edward Ameyibor, a Media Consultant, said the freedom and independence of the media was paramount to the building of democracy in
Ghana.
He said during the struggle some people shed their blood and others were imprisoned therefore their efforts must be cherished with improvement in the performance of the media.
Mr. Ameyibor pointed out that the new democratic dispensation in Ghana demanded that the interest of the people should be projected and that could be done through the media which should be responsible and set the standards.
He called for collaboration with other media associations to preserve their freedom and independence.
Mr Ameyibor was hopeful that WAJA would lead the way to champion the cause of freedom and independence of the media within the West African
sub-region.