GJA Calls for Responsible Use of Technology in Journalism

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called on media organisations and journalists to embrace emerging technologies while ensuring that the values of journalism are not compromised.

Speaking at the GJA @ 77 Anniversary Symposium, the President of the Association, Albert Dwumfour, said technology had transformed the way information was gathered, produced, distributed and consumed.

He said social media, mobile journalism, data journalism and artificial intelligence (AI) were increasingly shaping newsroom practices and the relationship between journalists and their audiences.

According to him, AI offers significant opportunities for journalism, including research, transcription, translation, data analysis and monitoring. However, he cautioned that the technology also presents serious challenges, particularly misinformation, fabricated content, deepfakes and synthetic audio and images.

“Technology must serve journalism; it must not destroy the values that make journalism worthy of public trust,” Mr Dwumfour said.

He said the GJA would continue to promote training and capacity-building in digital journalism, verification, fact-checking, data journalism and the responsible use of AI.

The GJA President stressed that despite advances in technology, the human journalist remained central to the practice of journalism.

He said journalism still required curiosity, judgement, courage and conscience, including the ability to ask additional questions, verify documents, seek alternative perspectives and identify inconsistencies.

Mr Dwumfour also urged media organisations to develop clear editorial policies on the use of AI. Such policies, he said, should address transparency, verification, human oversight, protection of confidential sources, and respect for copyright and intellectual property.

He noted that digital transformation was not simply about learning to publish on new platforms but also required journalists and media organisations to understand the economics of digital platforms, changing audience behaviour and the sustainability of media businesses.

“If we do not understand the digital ecosystem, others will increasingly determine the future of our profession for us,” he said.

He maintained that the journalist of the future must understand emerging technologies while retaining the human judgement and ethical responsibility that machines cannot replace.

The call forms part of the GJA’s broader agenda to build on its 77-year legacy while preparing Ghana’s media industry for the opportunities and challenges of the digital age.