About Us
Vision
“The preferred communications training institute in Africa, upholding high academic standards and producing world class professionals for the transformation of society”
Mission
"To remain a highly academic professional communications institution serving the needs of students, the industry and society"
Core Values
- Commitment to Excellence
- Link Theory and Practice
- Ensure Accountability with Integrity
- Team Work
- Excellent Teaching and Learning Environment
Philosophy
The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) is founded on the core philosophy of providing quality up to date education for students that meets the needs and demands of working life and society. The Institute’s core education principles are to facilitate the learning and development of journalists, media practitioners and communication experts through extensive lectures, tutorials and practical training in the core areas of Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising. The Institute helps students build strong theoretical foundations in communication and media studies and teach them to apply theory in research on pertinent social issues.
To develop professionalism and the necessary competences of our future journalists and communication experts, the institute places emphasis on experiential learning and learning by doing (LBD) approach. Students learn through project assignments and gain varied experiences from constant interaction with professionals and experts in the field.
Our lecturers and facilitators are professionals in their fields drawn from various institution of higher learning in Ghana and abroad, including experts from working life.
Our Institute is therefore a first class Centre of Excellence in Journalism, Communication training and Media studies in the country.
Ethics Policy
The Ghana Institute of Journalism is an ethical organization whose core goal is promoting communication excellence, with its guiding principles being universality, diversity, dignity, integrity, equity, respect for individual and group rights. The Institute is expected to promote the needs of the academia, industry and society as a whole for the well-being of the Ghanaian.
The Ghana Institute of Journalism, formerly The Ghana School of Journalism was officially opened on Monday, 16th October, 1959 by the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Kofi Baako.
The school was established by the Nkrumah government to provide training in journalism towards the development of a patriotic cadre of journalists to play an active role in the emancipation of the African continent.
Initially a department of the Accra Technical Institute (now Accra Polytechnic), the school had as its first Principal and Journalism Tutor, Mr. Richard McMillan, then retiring as Director of British Information Services in Ghana.
After the 1966 coup, the school moved to the present site which used to house the Ghana Press Club.
Mr. McMillan had been succeeded by the following Directors:
- Mr. Sam Arthur (1962-63)
- Mr. Cecil Forde (1963-65)
- Mr. W. G. Smith (1965-1966) and
- Mr. Martin Tay (1968-1969) The rest are:
- Mr. Fred Agyemang (1969-1973)
- Mr. G. F. Dove (1973 -1978)
- Mr. J. K. Quartey (1979-1982)
- Mr. Kabral Blay Amihere (1982-1983)
- Mr. Kwame Duffour (1983-1984)
- Mr. Kojo Yankah (1984-1993)
- Mr. David Newton (1993-2006) and
- Mr. Kweku Rockson from February, 2006 Acting Director, and from September, 2006-April, 2009, Acting Rector.
- Mr. David Newton (2009-) Rector
First Regulatory Framework
In 1974 the National Redemption Council (NRC) passed its first legislative instrument NRCD 275 formally establishing the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
The decree set as objects of the Institute the following:
a) To train young men and women in the skills and techniques of journalism, mass communication, advertising and public relations.
b) To organize classes, lectures, seminars, demonstrations, experiments, researches and practical training in all aspects of journalism and mass communication.
The objects stated above were the institute’s core functions as a training Institution until the passage of the new Law, ACT 715, 2006.
Present Law-Ghana Institute of Journalism Act 717, 2006
The Act establishing the Institute as a degree awarding tertiary Institution under the Ministry of Education, received the Presidential Assent on 31st August, 2006 and the date of gazette notification on 1st September, 2006.
After forty-six years of its existence as a diploma awarding Institution under the Ministry of Information, the Ghana Institute of Journalism has over those years metamorphosed into a fully-fledged Communication Training Institution with a status of a University and as public policy demands the Institute has now been placed under the Ministry of Education, Science & Sports (MOESS). It is now directly under the National Council for Tertiary Education. (NCTE)
As a tertiary education Institution, the Institute has a Governing Council whose functions include;
- Manage and initiate policies for the Institute.
- Ensure the implementation and achievement of the objects of the Institute.
- Appoint lecturers and other persons to academic and administrative post.
- On the recommendation of the Academic Board, award degrees, diplomas, certificates and other qualification.
- Consider and approve annual estimates of income and expenditure of the Institute, and
- Perform any other functions which are incidental to the achievement of the objects of the Institute.
