Ensuring safety of journalists multi-faceted

 Following the de­cision by the Ghana Journalists Associa­tion (GJA) that the media mount a blackout against the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who is also a minister; and that of Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama, for assaulting journalists, various opin­ions have been shared over the matter.

What are running now are the opposing views ex­pressed by Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, the Chairman of the National Media Com­mission (NMC), himself a veteran journalist; and the response from the Presi­dent of the Ghana Journal­ists Association (GJA), Mr Albert Kwabena Dwum­four.

It is unfortunate that the two stalwarts in the history of the association founded in 1949 should give cause to members of the public to think that one of them is right and the other is wrong.

We think it is important for the two men to consid­er their positions critically and they would probably apologise to each other.

Our point is made ac­cording to law and against the background of the po­sition of Free Press Unlim­ited, an international press freedom organization, on the safety of journalists.

Chapter 12 of the coun­try’s 1992 Constitution, for instance, gives legal backing to the freedom and inde­pendence of the media.

For its part, Free Press Unlimited says there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, as the safety challenges vary per context and so bases its approach to the safety of journalists on the three pillars of Prevention, Protection and Prosecu­tion.

Critically analysed, the two positions may have their merits and demerits but both seek to protect journalists.

However, taking into consideration the impunity of some of the country’s politicians against the safety of journalists, we are compelled to support the boycott of politicians who think they have all the pow­ers on earth to bully and intimidate journalists.

Such politicians, by their actions, are telling the whole world that they do not even support the 1992 constitution; neither do they respect the position of their own leaders.

Do Hawa Koomson and Farouk Aliu Mahama remember that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not too long ago told the Dwumfuor-led GJA that the safety of journalists in Ghana must be held sacrosanct as he would not condone any attacks on any media prac­titioner irrespective of the offence caused?

If it is not an allegation but it can be proven that they actually assaulted jour­nalists, will they agree that they have shown utmost disrespect to the President?

If Hawa and Farouk have forgotten what President Akufo-Addo said because it’s been a while since, what about what the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Op­pong Nkrumah, said as part of a statement he delivered on the floor of Parliament on November 8, 2023?

The minister said: “The safety of journalists is not negotiable and journalism is not a crime.”

The media blacklisting of politicians and others who attack journalists may be impunity but we think that approach may be right in the current cases of attacks otherwise a giant media organization like the Media Foundation for West Africa would not fully endorse and support the decision of the GJA.

Considering the apathetic attitude of the state toward the safety of journalists in spite of the repeated commitment to do so, there is the need to adopt measures dictated by the circumstances to protect journalists.

After all, journalists have a critical role to play to ensure their own safety on their line of duty.

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