President of the Ghana Journalism Association, Albert Dwumfour has advised politicians to desist from preventing journalists from having the freedom to express themselves in their line of duty.
He was speaking at the International Press Center on 3rd May, 2023 on World Press Freedom. World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on the 3rd May of every year to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of the press around the world.
The global theme for this year’s celebration is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other human rights.” The local ghanaian theme for the day is “Freedom of Expression: A Driver for all human rights for Ghana’s Development .”
Mr. Dwumfour advised journalists to resist attempts by politicians to steer them away from performing their professional roles to maintain national peace.
He also warned such politicians from abusing journalists as well as their actions would not be left unchecked.
“As the political season approaches, I would like to exhort my media colleagues not to entertain politicians or individuals who will poison the atmosphere with intemperate and provocative remarks. Let’s perform our professional roles while keeping the country’s peace in mind. Permit me to also use this occasion to warn politicians who have a propensity for abusing journalists or stifling free expression that they will not go scot-free. We are prepared to safeguard all media professionals as they perform their duties with diligence.”
Mr. Dwumfour concluded by emphasizing on the need for journalists to uphold high levels of professionalism and integrity in their work.
According to him, the need for press freedom must be accompanied with a sense of responsibility to respect sensitive issues of human concern.
“Finally, we commit ourselves to promoting professional standards in the media and urge all journalists and media houses to uphold the highest level of integrity and professionalism. We will not hesitate to call out any journalist or media organization that indulges in flagrant violations of professional ethics and standards. This is in view of the recognition that press freedom and indeed all other forms of freedoms go with responsibility and the duty to respect public sensibilities, human dignity and public interest.”
