Roland Affail Monney
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mr. Affail Monney, has remarked that the drop in Ghana’s latest ranking in the Press Freedom index from 30th to 60th while attributable to the arrests and attacks against journalists in line of duty does not “spell a perpetual doom and gloom neither does it sentence Ghana to an irreversible situation, but could be reversed with a clear resolute stance.”
He was speaking during this year’s chapter of the World Press Freedom Day celebration at the International Press Centre last Wednesday in Accra.
According to him, the drop was depressing and anticipated due to anti-media factors. “A drop in ranking had been anticipated due to a confluence of anti-media factors. But never did we expect the drop to be so precipitous,” he said.
Themed “Journalism Under Digital Siege”, the day is observed annually on May 3 to highlight the fundamental ideals of press freedom and its protection.
The Deputy Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, while speaking during the function urged media practitioners not to churn out misinformation under the umbrella of the new media.
She said journalism in a digital age and amidst a greater degree of creativity in comparison with traditional media cannot be devoid of misinformation, hence the need for media practitioners to be circumspect in their work.
The minister, while condemning various attacks on radio stations and journalists said, government with support of the National Media Commission (NMC) has instituted a coordinated mechanism for the safety of journalists, as the government continues to educate the public to desist from such acts.
She noted, “The key issues in the past year that contributed to Ghana’s critique are matters that require some more engagement with the security agencies and the general public. Attacks by some youth of Ada on a radio station, and acts of some overzealous police men in handing cases related to journalists are not the doing of government, which acknowledges how much this affects the country’s press freedom index ranking.”
Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, Chairman of the NMC, said while journalists were entreated to utilise technology in this era of digitisation, they should not allow digitisation to set the pace.
“Effectiveness should not be sacrificed with efficiency, but journalists should rather weigh the consequences of their actions in their effort to be the first to break the news,” he said.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah