The Minister for Information, Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, has expressed concern about the media’s tendency to just report purported violence or attacks on journalists on their platforms without filing official complaints with security institutions and other appropriate authorities.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the management of Ghana Web in Accra as part of her stakeholder engagement with selected media organizations, she emphasized that while these announcements may attract public sympathy, they do not secure justice for the journalists involved.
“We have noted with concern that all the research papers either from the Media Foundation or Center for Democratic Development (CDD) or other sources are stating that in most cases journalists do not report but resort to mentioning issues of attacks on their various platforms. But these just serve as notice to the public,” she reiterated.
The Minister highlighted the importance of official reports for appropriate institutions to take necessary actions.
She urged media professionals to utilize the support programs initiated by the ministry, including the Coordinated Mechanism on the Safety of Journalists (CMSJ), to seek redress.
Madam Abubakar also invited media personnel to apply for the upcoming training of the 3rd cohort under the Media Capacity Enhancement Programme (MCEP), which aims to train 100 journalists in June 2024.
Additionally, she encouraged them to leverage Ghana’s hosting of the Regional Office for the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) to apply for funding to retool and enhance their work.
Addressing the media’s role ahead of the upcoming elections, she reminded them of their responsibility to protect the country.
“I want us to be mindful of our responsibility to protect the country considering what is happening in our neighbouring countries. If Ghana is destabilized, we will not have anywhere to go to,” she cautioned.
She assured the media that the Ministry will continue to collaborate with the judiciary to expedite action on reported cases of attacks on journalists, aiming to boost confidence in the system.
The Management of Ghana Web welcomed the Ministry’s capacity-building support program and appealed for the scope to be widened to include other media staff such as human resources, IT, and media managers.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran,ISD
