President Nana Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 said critiquing works done by journalists by the Ghanaian citizens shouldn’t be described as ”attack on media freedom”.
Explaining what media attack is, the President stated that when journalists are physically attacked or prevented from doing their work no matter where in the world it took place then it can be considered media attack which must be roundly condemned by all.
He also indicated that the media having the freedom to criticize and oppose should also mean that it is ready to accept and work with criticisms by the citizenry.
“Having the freedom to criticise and oppose should also mean that the media is ready to accept and work with criticisms of its work by the citizenry or officialdom. That, for me, is one of the surest ways of improving the public discourse of our respective countries, and we should all strive towards realising this.”
Speaking at the African Journalists’ Leaders Conference he urged that the event will be used to address the issue of misinformation campaigns and fake news which are sometimes promoted by some media houses.
“The tendency to report on only one side of a story, and pass judgment on it, without wanting to learn or give a fair amount of reportage to the other side, stifles the truth. The media should only be concerned about reporting the facts, and should not lend themselves to being bought or being used to destroy the reputations of others,”
The President further appealed the media to ensure that it doesn’t sacrifice the integrity and future of society on the altar of an instant scoop or ill-considered publication.