The Ghana Journalists Association will on Tuesday launch this year’s media convention project to sensitise stakeholders, particularly media practitioners on media coverage ahead of the December, 2020, general elections.

The project is expected to bring together representatives of political parties, security agencies, EC, media institutions and bloggers for a one-day dialogue on media coverage of Election 2020.

A statement issued and signed by Mr Kofi Yeboah, Secretary and copied the Ghana News Agency in Accra said the launching ceremony would be chaired by Mrs Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission with Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC) set to deliver the keynote address.

Sponsored by the United States Embassy, the Media Convention would be held under the theme: “The 2020 election: Role of the media in promoting civility and discernment in the political discourse”.

The statement said the Media Convention would be held across the country in five different categories, adding that Centre A, which comprises the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions, would set the pace for dialogue in Accra immediately after the launch of the project on Tuesday.

It said the Convention would then move to Kumasi on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, for Centre B, which comprises Ashanti, Bono and Ahafo regions while Centre C, which is made up of Western, Western North and Central regions will take their turn in Takoradi on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

“Thereafter, the Media Convention will move to the northern sector of the country where, in Centre D, representatives from the Northern, Upper East, Bono East and Oti regions will meet in Tamale on Thursday, June 25, 2020, for the one-day dialogue.

“The Media Convention will reach its climax in Wa on Thursday, July 28, 2020, with representatives from Upper West, Savannah and North East regions, constituting Centre E, taking their turn,” the statement said.

The convention would focus on issues such the ‘GJA Guidelines on Election Reporting: Its impact, challenges and review’; ‘NMC media monitoring and complaint settlement, how effective as regulatory tools,’ ‘Fake news syndrome: how can Election 2020 coverage be insulated,’ and ‘Attacks on media during elections: Causes and effects’.

In 2012, the GJA held its first-ever Media Convention as part of its programmes in connection with the general elections that year.

Mr Affail Monney, GJA President, expressed profound gratitude to the US Embassy for its continuous support to the Association over the years.

“The US Embassy has been a faithful partner to the GJA in many ways. We are most grateful to Ambassador Sullivan and her team and hope our cordial relations will continue to blossom,” he said ahead of the launch.