Sal©: The Ghana News Agency's cooperation agreement with the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP) is an impetus for professional development and agency relations, Mr. Albert Kofi Owusu, the General Manager of GNA, has said.
According to Ghana News Agency, the partnership sets the stage for innovations, especially in news ideas, experiences, exchange programmes on modern news trends, facts-checking, and the use of Artificial Intelligence technology in news development. The GNA-MAP cooperation agreement was signed recently on the sidelines of the Eighth General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) in Sal©, Morocco.
Other participating news agencies included the Burkina Faso Information Agency, Gabon Press Agency, Liberia News Agency, Mali News Agency, Sao Tome and Principe Press Agency, Senegalese Press Agency, and Sierra Leone News Agency. They signed similar agreements with MAP to consolidate professional relations through the exchange of experiences, expertise, training, visits, and editorial services such as newsletters, photos, audio, videos, and computer graphics.
Mr. Owusu expressed satisfaction with the strategic relationship between the GNA and MAP, affirming the Management's resolve to sustain the gains made. The ties have served as a platform for the training of journalists in various areas over the years, encompassing sports, gender, socio-economic, and news development.
The GNA was established on March 5, 1957, on the eve of Ghana's independence, charged with the dissemination of truthful unbiased news. It was the first news agency to be established in sub-Saharan Africa, with the vision of becoming the preferred source of news and information on Ghana, Africa, and the World. The Agency was part of a comprehensive communication policy that sought to harness the information arm of the state to build a viable, united, and cohesive nation-state.
In line with its mandate, it has been operating in the unique role of mobilising citizens for nation-building, economic and social development, national unity, and integration. During the Eighth FAAPA General Assembly, themed 'African Press Agencies as Vehicle for Promoting the Continent's Health Sovereignty,' participants discussed ways to promote and strengthen African health sovereignty to better cope with future shocks.
The two-day Assembly brought together directors general of various African news agencies, media and health experts, as well as distinguished personalities from different backgrounds, to reflect on the role they must play within the 21st century. It also marked the 10th anniversary of FAAPA's establishment, mirroring the future of African news agencies, with respect to their diversity and unique characteristics.
