The Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Professor Kwame Karikari has admonished journalists to act professionally in their line of duties in order not to be rejected like bad restaurants by society.
He charged the media to work hard to move from the 26th world wide ranking to become first or among the first three-five to countries which has improved press freedom.
Speaking on Ultimate Breakfast Show hosted by Lantam Papanko, the Executive Director of MFWA called for legal status to check journalists who infringe on citizens rights calling on the public to reject media houses which do not inform them truthfully.
‘We need to improve our professional work, we have made lots of progress but we still need to do more. There is still room for more improvement in the professional work of journalism,… if media houses do not become professional, they will die out, and as society becomes more enlightened, people will reject bad media just like people will reject bad restaurants which sell bad food… If the media continue to be more professional, they will be sustained, if they continue to be unprofessional, they will be rejected by the public,’ he entreated.
The former Director-General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) observed that there are no major impediments to the work of journalists saying they have latitude to execute their work.
He blamed security agencies especially police and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for being the only sources of journalists brutalities and harassment.
Prof. Karikari called on the Akufo-Addo’s government and Parliament to pass the Right to Information Bill to enable journalists access information.
‘The Akufo-Addo’s government should find ways to improve the infrastructure of media,… lots of things must be done so that our ranking on press freedom can be improved. The government, ministry of interior, new Inspector General of Police (IGP) David Asante-Appeatu have to educate the security agencies about what human rights are, what media freedom is all about, and what the work of journalists entail, so that all of them will understand that if journalists are doing their work, they are doing it in the service of society, and not a crime they are committing,’ he suggested.
He remarked that media freedom improved in the fourth Republic recalling that since 2001, no journalists has been arrested or detained for doing his/her work.
‘In the past, press freedom was extremely jeopardized,… their rights were trampled upon, the first and second Republic did so many things that were not favourable to the press, the fourth Republic has really sustained press freedom,’ he stated.
He advised the public not to take the rights of journalists for granted saying media freedom is not only for journalists but the larger society and its important for democracy.
‘Without media freedom, ignorance is what will reign,’ he said.
Ghana today joined the world to celebrate World Freedom Day.
By: Ghana/Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM
The post Work Professionally to avoid being rejected like bad restaurants-Prof Karikari to Journalists appeared first on Ultimate FM.
The Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Professor Kwame Karikari has admonished journalists to act professionally in their line of duties in order not to be rejected like bad restaurants by society. He charged the media to work hard to move from the 26th world wide ranking to become first or among […]
The post Work Professionally to avoid being rejected like bad restaurants-Prof Karikari to Journalists appeared first on Ultimate FM.
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