COP Abdul-Osman Razak
The National Security Coordinator, COP Abdul-Osman Razak, has urged journalists to uphold responsible journalism through accurate information verification, fair and balanced reporting, and a focus on accountability rather than sensationalism to protect the security of the country.
Addressing a section of journalists at a media capacity workshop on responsible security reporting in Accra, COP Abdul-Osman said responsible journalism was particularly important because the media formed part of the country’s security architecture and served as an important source of open-source intelligence for the intelligence community.
He said journalists should ensure that their reporting informed the public, expose wrongdoing without provoking tensions, putting lives at risk, as well as holding authorities accountable without undermining the very institutions they sought to strengthen.
“Responsible journalism is built on verified truth, represents all stakeholders fairly, and emphasises accountability over sensationalism. This type of journalism informs without provoking, exposes wrongdoing without risking lives, and holds authority accountable without weakening the very institutions we intend to entrench and empower. We are just saying, do it responsibly,” he said, adding that journalists should recognise that their reports could become valuable sources of intelligence to the security community.
“Why should the National Security Council concern itself with this? It has to because the information space is as much a part of the nation’s security terrain as the borders, the airspace and waters,” he stated.
According to him, the information space was as important to national security as the country’s borders, airspace and territorial waters, making responsible journalism an essential component of national security. He pointed out that a free and responsible press could contribute significantly to national stability by exposing corruption, holding public officials accountable and preventing tensions from escalating into violence.
He noted that when journalists reported truthfully during periods of tension, they could help prevent rumours and misinformation from spreading and potentially stop disturbances, which protect the public more cheaply than any prosecution could.
The National Security Coordinator further explained that the security services used both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to address threats, educate the public and engage communities to address challenges facing them that extremists could exploit.
He also cautioned journalists to exercise care when reporting on sensitive issues such as religion and ethnicity, saying extremists often exploited grievances and perceptions of unfair treatment to recruit people.
He explained that extremist groups could initially present themselves as philanthropists by providing social services such as schools and hospitals, before eventually seeking support for their broader agenda, and urged journalists to view security personnel as partners in national development rather than enemies, while maintaining their responsibility to hold them accountable.
COP Abdul-Osman also described Ghana’s democratic stability as an important asset that needed to be protected, particularly in a region facing various security challenges and, therefore, offered to strengthen collaboration between the security agencies and the media through regular training and engagement.
The capacity training workshop, organised by the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) on the theme “Media as a Strategic Partner in Preventive Security and Early Warning in Ghana,” brought together dignitaries including Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Shamima Muslim, and Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Divine Selase Agbeti, among others.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah