President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said 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.
Speaking with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo said the work of journalists was extremely important and vital in nation-building and that the government would do all to guarantee their safety and right to work.
"The safety of journalists in Ghana has to be considered sacrosanct. Sacrosanct from members of the community, sacrosanct from agencies of the state and we must be a country where journalists have to feel safe to go about their work," President Akufo-Addo said.
Stating his stance on the media freedom and safety of Journalist, President Addo-Addo said he was unequivocally committed to protecting the safety of Journalists, adding: "I don't condone attacks on any journalist, even those who abuse me, I do not condone any attacks on them."
"A noisy press, even a mischievous press is far better than a sycophantic press," President indicated.
Expressing surprise at the lower score of press freedom in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo intimated that the vibrant and media plurality in the country should have had an impeccable rating.
"When you look at the diversity of our press and its proliferation all over the country, I don't know if there are so many countries on the continent that has such widespread independent media outlets as Ghana," the President said.
The whole concept of responsible journalism, according to President Akufo-Addo, was extremely important for the welfare of the country.
He called on media practitioners not to accept as true what news makers and politicians told them, but endeavour to investigate those claims and better inform their listeners, viewers and readers.
"I think that beyond everything, what most people are sensitive about is the capacity of the media to generate its information. That is the aspect of it that is responsible journalism," the President stated.
That, according to the President, was extremely important as too often, things said especially by politicians were taken at face value and Ghanaians were denied any informed scrutiny of those claims.
The president of the Ghana Journalists Association, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, assured that the Association would work hard to curb attacks on journalists in the country.
In that regard, he said the GJA would launch the Journalist Support Fund (JSF) in November to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity for Crime Against Journalists.
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A resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly at its 68th session in 2013 to set aside November 2nd in memory of two French Journalists who were assassinated in Mali in 2013.
That initiative, named Journalist Support Fund by the GJA, seeks to raise a minimum of GHC2 million as a seed fund to fight and address the incessant attacks on Journalists and also support Journalists in that regard.
As the watchdog of the people's rights, Mr Dwumfour said the association shared in the frustrations and difficulties of Ghanaians regarding the economic situation in the country.
He called on President Akufo-Addo to address the nation on the economic crisis and explain to Ghanaians measures taken by the government to resolve the situation.
"You can count on our full support in the recovery process" the GJA President assured the government.
Mr Dwumfour said there was a need to revive the President's "Media Encounter" series to enable him to speak to pertinent national issues, as well as enable media persons to have the opportunity to ask questions bordering the nation.
President Akufo-Addo welcomed the suggestion among others and pledged his administration's commitment to addressing the economic crisis accordingly.
