Ghana joins Commonwealth countries to support freedom of the press | General news

Ghana has partnered with other Commonwealth countries to pledge to protect journalists at the World Conference on Freedom of the Media which has just ended in London. The two-day conference was also used to discuss ways to ensure responsible media and support for the safety and protection of journalists.

Ghana's delegation to the Conference was led by Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

In an address to participants, Nkrumah said Ghana has and continues to put in place a strong mechanism for free and responsible media practice through constitutional and legal frameworks.

"Ghana has repealed the criminal libel law, pbaded a whistleblower law and recently adopted the right to information. These developments have introduced a refreshing pluralism into the Ghanaian media landscape. It has also opened access to new and diverse voices that have fostered democracy and participation in governance and development; and above all, to strengthen the freedom of the press, "he said.

The information minister said Ghana's performance in the World Press Freedom Index in recent years has been laudable, despite recent cases of attacks on press freedom.

"In recent years, Ghana has also seen its share of global attacks against free media, despite our good results. The worst badbadination of Ahmed Suale, in cold blood, would be related to his work as an badociate of the Tiger Eye PI press organization. Unfortunately, our investigative agencies have not made much progress in arresting and punishing the perpetrators of such acts. It seems that we have considered media excellence and public tolerance as acquired, but we now have to face the changing realities and do more, "he added.

The minister, who is also a deputy of Ofoase Ayirebi, revealed that Ghana is taking steps to fight against abuses and attacks against journalists by setting up a coordination mechanism for the safety of journalists that would help different stakeholders to protect themselves, prevent abuse and independently validate attacks.

He also revealed that Ghana is putting in place a media capacity building program to support quality journalism, but that it will not fail to legislate to combat misinformation and misinformation, which are challenges that threaten confidence in the media.

The minister urged the media and journalists to go beyond investigations and disclosures of wrongdoing and use their platforms to also highlight the positive progress of corporations.

The first World Conference on Freedom of the Media was organized jointly by the British and Canadian governments.