Tema: Ms Mary Mensah, a vice-presidential candidate in the upcoming Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) elections, has promised to equip journalists to make their safety a personal priority. Ms Mensah, who is also the foreign editor of the Daily Graphic, interacting with journalists in Tema, said the attacks on journalists were becoming too many, making it imperative for journalists themselves to protect themselves against such attacks.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ms Mensah emphasized that it was not enough for journalists to be attacked and then the various legal and other protocols to be triggered, stressing that some of the attacks could easily be avoided. She said that as a former security correspondent for about 25 years, she would organise training sessions for journalists on basic safety measures, stating that 'We have to take our personal safety seriously.'
Ms Mensah, who is also a former two-term public relations officer for the GJA, said, 'Scan your environment and retreat when you see it's not safe. We chose to be journalists, but it does not mean we must kill ourselves on the job.' Touching on other issues, she said she has identified that one critical issue among journalists in Ghana was the need for continuous training, indicating that sometimes some of the questions some media practitioners ask and their interviewing skills during programmes made it clear that there is a skills gap that needs to be bridged.
Explaining how the GJA operates, she disclosed that the association has workers and utilities and other administrative issues they financially take care of at the secretariat, adding that the dues from members are used for these purposes, while sponsorship is sought for the organisation of awards, which is often a one-off annual programme. Clarifying issues on membership, she said a journalist must first apply to be a member of the association by filling out the membership application form, which would then be reviewed by a committee which she is a member of for approval.
She encouraged journalists in Ghana to join the association, as it was very important to belong to a professional body which also has many benefits, stressing that joining the association is a voluntary act. She urged members to vote for her as the vice president of the GJA, stating that she has done a lot for the association, mentored and mothered a lot of journalists and still has a lot to do for members, including the provision of free health screenings periodically for members to ensure they are in good health to practice the profession.
