Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie
Former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie says media houses run the risk of crumbling under credibility and integrity issues in today’s changing media landscape.
She has consequently admonished media organisations to put their houses in order since many people are out there wishing for the demise of the media.
Speaking in an interview with GTV, Mrs. Afenyi-Dadzie stated that the growing demand for information, increasing speed and the ability for anyone in the world to report news due to the rise of digital media have made misinformation more rampant.
She noted that the truth, which is the biggest challenge at the moment, is being challenged by propaganda, while calling on organisations to build consensus on ethical values to handle sensitive matters.
The ex-GJA boss revealed that in the past journalists collaborated to give support to the then Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Afari Gyan, to announce credible election results in the midst of “threatening calls and pressure.”
“We must make sure to put our houses in order because there are people out there wishing that the wings of the media be clipped,” she noted.
Mrs. Afenyi-Dadzie wondered why media houses offer their platforms for people to spew lies when journalists are supposed to be the gatekeepers.
“Journalists must learn that they have to sacrifice to excel, by investing in themselves to get credibility and confidence for themselves and their media houses,” she intimated.
By Ernest Kofi Adu