Fatimatu Abubakar (M), Kwame Blay (3rd L), staff of Western Publications Limited and some officials of MOI
The Information Minister-Designate, Fatimatu Abubakar, yesterday led a delegation on a working visit to DAILY GUIDE, a subsidiary of Western Publications Limited.
Apart from DAILY GUIDE, which has operated for the past 41 years, she visited the subsidiary components of the media group such as the DGN and Guide Radio.
The minister-designate discussed various subjects of national importance such as the Africa Media Convention (AMC), the Right to Information Act as well as the challenges of the newspaper industry.
She called on DAILY GUIDE to provide coverage for the third AMC being organised by the AU Commission in collaboration with UNESCO and other key media stakeholders on the continent.
She said about 600 journalists including 200 participants and 27 ministers across the continent have already registered to participate in the event which will be held in Ghana from Wednesday, May 15 to Friday, May 17, 2024.
She, therefore, used the opportunity to extend an invitation to DAILY GUIDE and its affiliates to partake in the programmes and provide coverage.
The minister mentioned the continuation of capacity building programmes initiated by the former Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, which she said have yielded positive outcomes as evidenced by press freedom indicators on safety, economics and politics from 2022.
According to her, under the media enhancement capacity programmes, 140 journalists have so far been trained under two cohorts and the third cohort will be rolled out in June.
She appealed to media organisations to encourage some editorial staff to join, given the kind of content that was provided for participants, especially when new media continues to compete with traditional ones in recent times.
She emphasised that the Global Press Freedom rankings have significantly improved considering the new position of 50 from last year’s 62.
The minister-designate said the next cohort of the programme to be held in June this year is expected to also host 100 journalists across the country.
“Based on these programmes and activities, we are hoping that we will get your maximum cooperation to implement them, get the active participation of our key media stakeholders to make them successful and put Ghana where it ought to be when it comes to press freedom, given the vibrant media landscape Ghana has,” she noted.
The minister-designate also commended the management of Western Publications, publishers of DAILY GUIDE, for their contribution to the development of Ghana’s democracy.
Deputy Minister-Designate of Information, Sylvester Tetteh, for his part also commended Western Publications for continuously providing information to the general public over the years.
“Being around for 41 years is no mean achievement, many media houses have come and gone but you are still doing what you do best. If you travel to any part of this country where Daily Graphic does not reach, you have DAILY GUIDE. “What people can point to in matters of national interest, you can think of DAILY GUIDE, you have a lot of information to share to shape policy,” he stated.
He also asked DAILY GUIDE and its affiliates, given its experience in the media landscape, to institute mechanisms to check misinformation and disinformation which has characterised the media landscape in recent times despite the challenges facing the media, particularly the traditional ones.
The Chief Executive Officer of Western Publications, Kwame Blay, who received the delegation, thanked the minister-designate and her entourage for the visit, describing it as worthwhile.
He said that in spite of the challenges facing the print industry coupled with the advent of new media, including social media, DAILY GUIDE continues to provide up-to-date news content for the Ghanaian market, adding that the newspaper continues to be a relevant news outlet in the media landscape across the country.
He, however, appealed to the government through the minister-designate’s office to consider providing tax reliefs for newspaper inputs such as newsprints and ink.
He added that despite the increase in the prices of raw materials occasioned by the depreciation of the cedi against the dollar, the prices of newspapers have hardly witnessed increases.
The minister-designate, in response, pledged to discuss it with relevant stakeholders including  Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) with a view to addressing the challenges.
Also present at the meeting were A.R. Gomda, Chief News Editor, Jamila Akweley Okertchiri, Editor of DAILY GUIDE, news presenters from Guide Radio and DGN, Head of Marketing and some senior reporters of DAILY GUIDE.
Officials accompanying the minister-designate on her visit were Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, Information Analyst at the Ministry, George Sarpong, and Government Spokesperson on Social Services, Alhaji Yusif Fofana.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah