The Ghana Journalists Association has revealed that an award category has been instituted for maritime journalism in the upcoming Ghana Journalism Awards.

This will mean that for the first time in history of the awards, journalists who promote and report on the maritime industry will be awarded.

The President of Ghana Journalists’ Association, Affail Monney in an exclusive interview with Eye on Port expressed that this inclusion has been a long time coming. He said it is essential considering the important role maritime journalism plays in economic growth of the country.

“There is the need, more than ever before, for journalists to do more in the area of maritime journalism with the hope that the qualitative improvement which this seminar holds to bring in journalism output, will crystalize into an economic growth,” he said.

He then entreated the further participation of journalists in the maritime sector, to help steer the industry forward, with effective and incisive reporting.

“I’m with the hope that it would motivate more journalists to do more stories in that area. We believe that with the more stories journalists do, the more the industry would be exposed,” he expressed.

The President stressed the need for workshops to be organised by maritime players saying that it would inure to the output of journalists who work in the industry.

“We expect the general community, with Ghana Shippers’ Authority helping with a sponsorship package, others will rally to our support. We expect other key players in the industry to come on board,” he entreated.