Former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Amb. Kabral Blay Amihere has cautioned the association’s current administration to maintain its independence from government and interest groups to effectively advocate for press freedom.
Speaking at the 75th Ghana Journalists Association public lecture themed, ’75 years of excellence in journalism honouring the past, embracing the present and shaping the future’, he warned that getting too close to stakeholders with vested interests could compromise news credibility.
“The association must never slumber. To remain the voice of defense for press freedom, the GJ leadership must strive to maintain the independence of the association from government and other interest groups. I do not advocate adversarial and confrontational relationships with stakeholders in the media landscape. But the optics do not look so good when independent professional bodies get too cool, closer and cozy with interest groups interested by nature in manipulating and controlling media.”
He noted that Ghanaian media has played a crucial role in holding governments accountable, with notable journalists and media outlets conducting robust investigative journalism and setting high standards for reporting significantly contributing to the country’s democratic development and electoral integrity.
“In the last 32 years since the restoration of democracy, the media on the whole has managed to hold successive governments accountable and kept our democracy steady. In the first parliament of the first public, which was dominated by one party, the NDC, with a single independent candidate, the late honorable Howard Ogede Yakubu, as a result of the boycott by the NPP, it took the critical and vigilant rule of privacy to hold the parliament and government in check.”
“The advent of private radio and television has broadened citizen participation in Ghana’s democracy and there is every proof that the electoral history of Ghana has benefited from media oversight. I dare say that journalists of journalism have contributed so much to the development of Ghana and its democracy more than any other profession. Ghanaian journalists should have every reason to feel proud about their impact and contributions.”
This lecture is the first in the series of lectures to be delivered during the 75th GJA anniversary celebration.
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Story by: Michelle Lartey | univers.ug.edu.gh
