Media Must Be Fair In Reports - Mahama

Accra, Aug 11, - Mr John Mahama, Deputy Minister of Communications, today said though it is important for the media to keep government on its toes, it must be fair in reporting on public officials. Launching a book on 'Journalism and Ethics' in Accra, Mr Mahama said if the media operates responsibly, the country would have many benefits to move it in the desired direction. The 77-page book published from the joint efforts of the European Union, Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and the School of Communication Studies (SCS), University of Ghana, has been given a universal touch with samples of journalistic ethics in Egypt, the European Union, Germany, the United Kingdom and United States. Mr Mahama said infringement of journalistic ethics by the media is one cause of the sticky points in government-media conflicts and said this could be controlled if journalists adhered to the book's contents. Dr Anthony Bonnah Koomson, a lecturer at the SCS and author of the book, stressed the need for journalists to be ''tougher'' in insisting on good standards, especially when the going gets tough for public officials. Mr Kabral Blay Amihere, President of the West African Journalists Association who presided, urged Ghanaians to join in the call for the speedy inauguration of the National Media Commission (NMC). According to him, the delay is not in the interest of press freedom, adding that it is the NMC that can help promote press freedom and a higher level of media responsibility.