Intimidation of media staff is unacceptable – Prof. Kwasi Prempeh

General News of Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2019-03-20

The new series of attacks against staff and media outlets across the country is extremely disturbing and unacceptable, warned the executive director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, Prof. Kwasi Prempeh.

His comments follow several reported cases of badaults against media professionals in the country by state and non-state actors and the government's inaction to seek justice for the affected personnel.

"This new intimidation of the media, which beats them, threatens them, can not be acceptable. We must show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the media when they are attacked for trying to act properly, "he said.

According to him, media professionals are not required to have sufficient evidence before publishing articles, but can provide a summary or publicize reporting leads and let the audience decide on their own according to what they say. ;he see.

"If you had to demand 100% accuracy before publishing anything, there would be no news, there would be very few publications in the world."

"Sometimes we go with the story, we follow a path, it seems credible, we follow it, we connect the points and let the public make its judgment … This is what journalists do. So, this new thing as if you do not have the proof that you can defend yourself in court, you can not publish anything … that's not how journalism works.

In the midst of apparent media insecurity, Professor Kwasi Prempeh has ceaselessly appealed to civil society organizations to help media professionals uncover corruption cases; as well as citizens to resort to the courts instead to deal with their problems against media professionals instead of physically badaulting them in the performance of their duties.

"People must respect the right of journalists to practice their profession … if you have a problem with what they publish and think you have been defamed, you go to court, but do not attack them. not physically ".

Attacks on journalists

Recent series of attacks involving journalists, including the badbadination of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, the badault of four reporters by security agents of the ruling party, the New Patriotic Party, at the party headquarters in Accra, the badbadination by soldiers of independent journalist Kendrick Offei, the attacks on a journalist by a bodyguard of former president John Mahama.

GBC TV journalist Yahyah Kwamoah was attacked by a member of the presidency, Stan Dogbe, Joy News reporter Latif Idrissu by police officers and the recent Ghanaian Times reporter by police officers.