Story: Yaw Takyi

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfuor has warned against the rising threats and acts of violence targeting journalists as the nation heads to the polls in December.

Speaking at the GJA/US Embassy Ghana, forum dubbed “Journalists for peaceful discourse”, Albert Dwumfour affirmed that the GJA would  not countenance any attacks on media professionals, stressing that the safety and independence of journalists were non-negotiable.

He also urged journalists to be responsible and professional in the discharge of their duties and continue to hold leaders to account.

“GJA will also create a platform to share best practices on elections among journalists. I am pleased to announce that in the few weeks to come, the GJA will begin a special forum for sharing best practices. It is our hope that the objective of this project will help shape the media environment and further reduce excesses of the media to the barest minimum”, he said.

He said the GJA was  of the firm belief that freedom of expression did not only mean allowing people to speak but also ensuring responsibility.

“There is a need to protect the public space used for free speech. This project has the potential to effectively combat the spread of hate speech, misinformation and polarising narratives in the era of social media”, he said.

He concluded by adding, “misinformation and polarising narratives are particularly troubling because they serve as tools of recognizing information, and the earlier we confront this danger, the better for us as a country”.

He noted the GJA was mandated to promote democracy, freedom of expression, human rights and other responsibilities as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.