The Upper East Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is considering giving cash prizes to winners at this year’s Regional GJA Awards instead of the Samsung tablets presented at the previous edition.
Regional GJA Chairman Albert Sore says the proposed change follows feedback from some previous winners who indicated that they already owned equipment capable of performing similar functions and would have preferred prizes that allowed them to address other professional needs.
“Last year we gave every winner a Samsung tablet. High-quality tablets. But there were some who thought, ‘I already have other equipment that does the work that the tablets would do for me, so I would have preferred something else,’” he said.
Speaking on Day Break Upper East on A1 Radio on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Mr Sore said the association is therefore considering a cash-based prize package that would give winners greater flexibility to invest in equipment or resources relevant to their work.
He said the objective is to ensure that prizes presented at the awards contribute to improving the work of journalists rather than simply serving as recognition.
“We always want to give the winners of the various awards something that they can use to improve their work. We want the prizes to be something that inspires impactful journalism and helps the journalist to do even better work,” he said.
Mr Sore noted that rapid changes in technology have made continuous investment in equipment and skills increasingly important for journalists.
“If you stay in the past, you make the work very challenging for yourself because there are easier ways to do the work and then you are left behind just because you don’t have the resources to upgrade,” he said.
He cited changes in cameras, recorders, computers and software as examples of the technological developments journalists have to keep up with.
This year’s Upper East Regional GJA Awards received 47 entries from 24 journalists, up from 42 entries submitted by 18 journalists at the previous edition.
The awards, scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2026, will recognise journalists across 16 categories, including Journalist of the Year, Female Journalist of the Year, Most Promising Journalist, Agriculture, Health, Education, Gender, Disability, Child Protection, Mining and Natural Resources, Conflict and Security, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Water and Sanitation, Sports, Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Environment.
The 5th edition is being held under the theme, “Beyond the Headlines: The Media’s Role in Promoting WASH for Safe Motherhood and Quality Healthcare.”
Mr Sore said the regional GJA would continue reviewing the awards based on lessons from previous editions.
“We keep evolving and we keep learning from whatever we do,” he said.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Seidu Mutawakil | Bolgatanga
