Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has announced plans to collaborate with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to introduce a joint Private Member’s Bill that would establish a certification framework for journalists seeking employment in the public sector. The proposed legislation seeks to formalise professional standards within the journalism profession, linking certification to adherence to ethical principles and established professional guidelines.
Mr Bagbin disclosed the initiative during a courtesy call by a GJA delegation, explaining that the framework would help regulate the profession and align it with other fields that operate under formal certification systems. He said prospective journalists would be required to meet specified ethical and professional standards before receiving certification, particularly if they intend to work in the public sector.
According to the Speaker, the initiative would also pave the way for a professional charter that prioritises ethical conduct, accountability and adherence to professional standards in journalism. “We need to have certification, and at the end of the day, we’ll have to have a charter where ethics and other things matter. Before you are certified, you must go through that, and before you are employed in the public sector,” he said.
For his part, GJA President Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor said the proposed legislation was also intended to improve the economic welfare and living conditions of journalists in Ghana.
