The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) on Friday awarded Masters Degree to 208 professionals with a call on them to uphold ethical standards in all their endeavours.
The congregation, which was the fourth in the history of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, was held on the theme: Promoting Development through Graduate Education in Media and Communication”.
Professsor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, the Rector of the Institute, who made the call, urged the newly graduated professionals to continuously commit to communicating what was true, valuable and right.
He said communication played a vital role in a country’s development and that the current media industry required experts with requisite qualifications, competence and skills to ensure professional delivery.
He said there was the need for communicators to be responsible in the delivery of their mandate to ensure effective information management and to properly harness the national and international resources for the development of the country.
Prof. Kwansah-Aidoo said: “We need communicators who will resist the temptation of taking liberties with both the truth and their professional training”.
He, therefore, urged them to ensure that they communicated issues that are truthful, authentic, respectful, equitable and socially responsible.
Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, a Former Director of the Institute, urged the graduates to remember that the media are powerful and have all it takes to change and bring about an improvement in the conditions of living of members of the society.
He urged graduates to avoid shirking responsibilities to their families and the nation since much sacrifices had been made to enable them to get where they are on the academic ladder.
The congregation, which was officially constituted by Prof Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh, the Chairman of the Institute’s Governing Council, conferred Masters Degrees on 208 graduates who successfully completed a 15-month graduate programme in Journalism, Public Relations, Development Communication and Media Management.
He said there was a need for all stakeholders of the Institute to re-examine the GIJ brand to be more relevant to nation building towards meeting the high expectations of its status as a public university.
“Your new status as GIJ Masters Degree holders enjoins you to read for facts, be curious in search of the truth and ask the questions that will unearth the truth,” he said.
“From now on, you will have to prove yourselves to the rest of the world as worthy intellectuals, ethical professionals, and responsible communication practitioners.”
Eight graduated with MA in Journalism, 93 with MA in Public Relations, 87 with MA in Development Communication and 20 with MA in Media Management.
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Source: GNA