Mrs Linda Asante Agyei, the National Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has called on media practitioners in the Upper East Region to work with stakeholders to bring an end to the series of conflicts in the region.
She said it was time journalists recognised and delivered on the cardinal purpose of their mandate, which was to help advance human development through responsible journalism and practices.
‘The days of poor journalism which lured the media into peddling information that only strengthened the fire of conflicts have long given way to the current era of peace journalism,’ she said.
Mrs Agyei was speaking at the second edition of the Upper East Regional GJA awards held in Bolgatanga on the theme: ‘Safeguarding the peace security of the Upper East Region: the role of the media’.
The GJA Vice President indicated that the theme for the awards was appropriate considering the recent conflicts that had bedeviled the region leading to loss of lives and properties and undermining the development of the region.
He said the journalists in the region had the mandate and responsibility to the people of Ghana to contribute significantly to creating an environment of trust that allowed the feuding factions to recognise peace as a sustainable alternative to violence.
‘If the different tribes can joke among themselves which I am proud of, why should there be conflicts in this part of the country, it means there is something we all have to acknowledge, so, please, if there is to be an end of conflict in this region and that depends on you the journalists,’ she said.
She disclosed that the GJA with support from government of Ghana and UNESCO would be hosting the Third African Media Convention in 2024 as part of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the Association.
This, she said, would bring together about 1,000 media practitioners and partners from the African Continent and around the world and the GJA was poised to leverage on the Convention to showcase the positive image of the media and journalistic work to the outside world and to enhance media freedom.
Alhaji Yusif Fofana, the Government Spokesperson on Social Services, who represented Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, noted that the role of the media in nation building could not be overemphasised as citizens viewed the media as facts of society.
He said the media practitioners in the region must work to engender trust among feuding factions to help bring peace to conflict areas.
He said the increasing threats of terrorism and insurgencies in neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, which shared borders with the Upper East Region put the security of the country at risk and underscored the significant role of journalists, especially those in the region to work to safeguard the peace of the country.
‘Media is the primary source of information, the media therefore has an important effect on perceived public opinion about the reality and we must consciously strive to be ambassadors of peace to promote the growth and development of society,’ he added.
Mr William Jalulah, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the GJA, said the centralised system of communication by the Ghana Police Service was inimical to democratic governance and left journalists to rely on speculations to report on crime and security issues and appealed for a reverse of the decision.
‘I also want to appeal to the national leadership of the GJA to be more forceful in getting the IGP to reverse the directive as it is a major concern to all its members across the country,’ he added.
Source: Ghana News Agency