Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has denounced the harsh treatment that journalists have received with great vehemence, stressing that assaults on journalists are fundamentally attacks on democracy.
Speaking on Saturday, September 28, at the 28th GJA Awards and 75th Anniversary in Accra, Dwumfour asked politicians to desist from attacking reporters in the run-up to the general elections of 2024.
He urged Ghanaians to take their complaints to the proper authorities, noting that strict measures like blacklisting politicians and prominent figures had reduced media violence.
Notwithstanding these advancements, Dwumfour raised concerns about persistent verbal and physical abuse, cyberbullying, physical assault, and harassment that prevents journalists from carrying out in-depth reporting.
“Politicians need to desist from attacking media houses and journalists who are doing their work. Ghana’s Ranking on the World’s Press Freedom Index has been declining due to attacks on the media by high-profile personalities and political parties.
“We thank God the situation is improving following stringent measures including a media backlist of perpetrators and collaboration with the Ministry of Information in the area of capacity building.
“The GJA warns against media abuse, if you feel offended by media reports or publications, there are appropriate ways or mechanisms available, let’s exhaust all these avenues instead of using brute force to silence the media.
“Attacks on journalists will not only happen to individuals but also undermine fundamental rights to free expression and access to information. Physical assault, verbal abuse, cyberbullying and harassment silence journalists from investigative reporting and compromise our democracy. Attack on the media is an attack on our democracy.”
