The Ashanti Regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has opened its 2025 Excellence Awards to all media professionals in the region, regardless of their membership status, in a move aimed at recognising quality journalism and promoting credibility in the era of artificial intelligence.
The awards were officially launched under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence, Championing Credibility: Journalism in the Age of AI,” with journalists being invited to submit works published between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA, Mr Kofi Adu Domfeh, said the decision to open the awards to non-members was necessary because ongoing reforms at the national level had delayed the formal acceptance of new members recruited during the regional association’s recent membership drive.
He explained that although the regional executives had succeeded in attracting dozens of journalists to register with the association, the formal membership process remained incomplete.
Mr Domfeh apologised to prospective members who had been waiting for the process to be completed and appealed to them to exercise patience, assuring them that the matter would be resolved soon.
He said the awards would provide an opportunity for media professionals across the Ashanti Region to have their work assessed and recognised based on journalistic excellence rather than their membership status.
The categories include Best in Sports, Education, Arts and Entertainment, Business and Economy, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Crime and Court.
Other categories are Best Feature, Best Columnist and Best Feature Article, alongside the Kofi Badu Special Award, instituted in honour of veteran and retired journalists.
The theme for this year’s awards places particular emphasis on credibility at a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing the production and dissemination of news and information.
The initiative is expected to encourage journalists to maintain professional standards and produce credible, impactful work as the media landscape continues to evolve.
Mr Domfeh also used the occasion to highlight some of the regional association’s activities since the current executives assumed office, including efforts to strengthen the membership base and improve professional development opportunities for journalists.
He said the executives had connected several media professionals to training programmes during the past year as part of efforts to build their capacity and improve the quality of journalism in the region.
On the proposed Ashanti Press Centre, Mr Domfeh said the project remained on course following the acquisition of a space through the support of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
He explained that the Regional Lands Commission was assisting the association with the necessary documentation to pave the way for construction to begin.
Mr Domfeh expressed appreciation to Fidelity Bank Ghana and Access Bank for their financial support towards the Press Centre project and their broader contribution to the development of the media in the Ashanti Region.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the regional executives to strengthening journalism in the region through professional training, institutional development and initiatives that reward excellence.
The Ashanti GJA Chairman said the association would continue to create opportunities for journalists to improve their skills while promoting responsible and credible journalism as the profession responds to emerging technological challenges.
