BY Daniel Bampoe
In a significant administrative move aimed at improving identification and enhancing the professional status of its members, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has officially commenced the distribution of new membership ID cards.
The cards, produced by the Margins Group, represent the association’s renewed effort to streamline membership verification and service delivery.
The rollout began on Friday, June 27, 2025, with the GJA confirming the receipt of the first batch of printed ID cards.
According to the National Organising Secretary, Dominic Hlordzi, all members whose cards have been successfully printed will be contacted individually to arrange for collection.
The initiative is part of a larger membership management plan to ensure that all journalists in good standing are properly documented.
This latest exercise follows years of appeals from GJA members for improved identification systems that reflect modern standards and provide clear professional recognition.
The new ID cards are expected to not only facilitate access to official events and press assignments but also affirm the legitimacy of GJA membership during fieldwork, particularly in areas where security protocols demand clear credentials.
The GJA further announced that additional consignments of printed cards will arrive in phases, ensuring that the distribution process continues uninterrupted until all members are duly served.
However, the association stressed that only members in good standing — that is, those who have fulfilled all dues and registration obligations — are eligible to receive the new ID cards.
To expedite the process, the GJA is calling on members who have not yet submitted their updated details to do so without delay.
Required information includes full name, media organization, contact number, and a recent passport-sized photograph with a white background.
These should be sent via email to gja.passportphoto@gmail.com.
The association has emphasized that names must correspond exactly with those published in the GJA’s official list of members in good standing, which was printed by the New Times Corporation.
In an advisory note, Hlordzi urged members to ensure that the photographs they submit are of high quality to meet ID card production standards.
He also reaffirmed the association’s commitment to ensuring that every qualifying member receives their new card promptly.
The GJA believes this move will strengthen the credibility of journalism practice in Ghana and reinforce the association’s efforts to modernize its operations.
