GJA President Albert K. DwumfourThe Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) finds itself at an inflection point, caught between the relics of a gatekeeping past and the urgency of an uncharted, fast-evolving media future. As members prepare to elect new leaders on Monday, June 30, 2025, the stakes could not be higher. This election is not just about personalities or manifestos; it is about redefining the very soul of an Association that has, for too long, oscillated between relevance and redundancy.
Let us be brutally honest: the GJA has historically been an elite club, often cloaked in self-importance and dominated by insular networks. It was a body more concerned with form than substance, routinely absent in critical moments when journalists faced threats, when ethics were trampled or when the industry needed direction. For many practitioners, especially the younger generation, digital media players and regional correspondents, the GJA was a distant, sometimes irrelevant bureaucracy that neither spoke for them nor represented their struggles.
Yet in 2024, the Association undertook an unexpected but much-needed turn. It embraced reforms that expanded the definition of journalism, opening its doors to previously excluded voices in broadcast, digital, freelance and campus journalism. It was not merely a policy shift; it was a quiet revolution, one that held the promise of revitalization, of building a GJA that is inclusive, assertive and responsive.
But reforms alone are not enough. Leadership is everything.
This election is our chance to determine whether the GJA remains a token organization or becomes a formidable force for media freedom, press accountability and professional excellence in Ghana. The future of journalism in this country, not in abstraction, but in practice, hinges on the caliber of individuals we choose to lead us. It is for this reason that I make this impassioned appeal: vote with your conscience, not your loyalty; with your vision, not your familiarity.
The Politics of Cronyism
The most corrosive force threatening the credibility of this election is not external interference, but internal indifference, and worse, cronyism. There is a quiet but dangerous tendency in our professional circles to vote for those we “know”, those with whom we once shared a newsroom or a drink, those who pander to our egos or feed our ambitions. This culture of “fa ma nyɛ me” (give it to my person) is not only intellectually lazy, it is suicidal for a profession already under siege from economic, political and technological pressures.
Cronyism does not just breed mediocrity; it emboldens incompetence. It sustains the same tired systems and personalities that have kept the Association sluggish, bureaucratic and passive. If the GJA is to become an advocate for press freedom, a defender of professional ethics and a relevant voice in national discourse, then we must elect leaders with vision, grit, credibility, and an unshakable commitment to service, not self.
What Leadership the GJA Needs Now
We need leaders who will speak truth to power, not whisper to politicians. Ghanaian journalists are under constant threat, from lawsuits, political intimidation, economic exploitation and digital harassment. Our next crop of GJA leaders must be fearless advocates for journalists’ safety and rights. They must be willing to confront power, not court it.
We need leaders who are media literate, not just credentialed. The media ecosystem has changed. Journalism is no longer confined to the print press or traditional broadcast studios. We now operate in a world of podcasts, newsletters, social media platforms, fact-checking startups and AI-powered newsrooms. The GJA leadership must understand this landscape. We cannot have leaders who treat digital journalists as lesser beings or see innovation as disruption rather than evolution.
We need leaders who are ethical, and who can restore public trust in journalism. With the proliferation of fake news, partisan punditry and paid media content disguised as news, the public trust in journalism is eroding. We need leaders who are not just clean, but transparent, men and women whose names are not whispered in conversations about brown envelopes or backdoor deals.
We need leaders who can build institutional strength, not personal fiefdoms. The GJA needs administrative reform, financial stability, strong regional representation and consistent member engagement. We need leaders who will digitize records, professionalize communications and engage with academia, civil society and international journalism bodies with clarity and confidence.
A Membership That Must Rise to the Occasion
But let us not pretend that this transformation depends solely on leadership. It also depends on us, the voters. This election is a mirror. It reflects not just who the candidates are, but who we are as an Association. If we elect weak leaders, it means we have become comfortable with weakness. If we reward sycophancy, it means we fear truth. If we ignore competence, it means we no longer care for excellence.
Members must ask themselves hard questions before casting their votes. What has this candidate done for journalism? How has this candidate contributed to the profession beyond personal gain? Does this person inspire confidence, not just among journalists, but within civil society, government and the international community? Will this person be accessible to members in Sunyani, Wa, Ho and Tamale, not just Accra?
Let us not vote based on where a candidate comes from, whom they once worked with or what petty promise they whispered during campaign rounds. Let us vote as if our professional dignity depends on it, because it does.
The Moment Is Bigger Than the Election
This is not just about filling vacant positions. It is about leadership that will defend journalists in court, challenge oppressive legislation, build professional development platforms, mentor young practitioners, and demand higher standards in reporting, editing and newsroom culture. It is about restoring the dignity and authority of journalism in the national conversation.
We live in a time when truth is contested, when misinformation travels faster than facts, when media ownership is increasingly concentrated in political hands, and when the line between journalism and propaganda is blurred. The GJA must be a compass, not a weather vane. And only visionary, courageous leadership can provide that compass.
A Final Word
To every voting member of the Ghana Journalists Association: this is your moment. Do not sleepwalk into another cycle of disappointment. Do not allow cliques and campaign slogans to hijack your vote. Resist emotional appeals and sentimental gestures. Vote with your eyes open, your mind sharp and your heart fixed on the future of our profession.
Vote not for personalities, but for purpose.
Vote not for promises, but for proven track records.
Vote not to reward friendship, but to safeguard journalism.
Because the GJA deserves better. And so do we.
The writer is a journalist, international affairs columnist and journalism educator with a PhD in Journalism. He is a member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), the Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ), and the African Journalism Education Network (AJEN). Contact: [email protected]
