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General News on Friday, May 3, 2019
Source: citinewsroom.com
2019-05-03
Former President John Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama urged the government and security agencies of the country to ensure the safety of journalists in the performance of their duties.
In a statement celebrating the global celebration of press freedom, John Mahama also urged journalists and bloggers to consider ways to remain relevant in the context of the 2019 theme, which focuses on the contribution of journalists to the growth of democracy and the holding of elections in the country. facing the challenge of misinformation.
The celebration of World Press Freedom Day 2019 takes place in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on the theme "Media for Democracy, Journalism and Disinformation Elections".
Despite the global theme, the discussion among stakeholders in Ghana is about the safety and security of journalists.
There have been several incidents of physical badault and beatings against journalists in Ghana during their work.
The death of Ahmed Suale, of the TigerEye PI, in January 2019, following the team's production of the football corruption documentary, sparked a public outcry, leaving a veil over Ghana's reputation as that safe space for journalists.
In its recent Global Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders has seen Ghana lose its place as the highest ranked country in Africa in the field of freedom of the press.
This decline is mainly due to the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale, earlier in 2019.
Overall, the country has grown from 23 in 2018 to 27 in 2019 out of 180 countries.
Read John Mahama's statement below
This year's global theme for World Press Freedom Day could not have been more appropriate.
The reaction of governments to the work of journalists and the impact of inaccurate reporting by journalists are topics that have dominated journalism in recent years.
I am today in Addis Ababa, where UNESCO, AU and the Ethiopian Government are organizing three days of activities devoted to the relationship between the media and democracy.
As UNESCO has asked: "How can journalism go beyond emotional content and false information during an election? What must be done to counter the speeches that depress journalists? To what extent should electoral regulations be applied to the Internet? "
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, I say ayekoo to all journalists and urge governments and security agencies to ensure their safety in carrying out their tasks.
I also wish to encourage the Ghana Association of Journalists, media men and women and bloggers to deepen their thinking and discuss how to remain relevant to society under the 2019 theme, "Media for democracy, journalism and elections in times of misinformation ". #WorldPressFreedomDay
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has appealed to the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for her personal attack on the brutalities and the the threat of death on the life of journalists who rooted in society.
The government, as well as political parties, should also publicly condemn these threats and censor "theirs," whose statements and actions tend to support violence against the media and journalists.
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