Attack on Journalists is wrong

The National Media Commission (NMC) says the attack on journalists must be seen as an attack on the poor and vulnerable in the society, whose cause the media champion.

Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, Chairman of the NMC, who made the observation, entreated the media to be circumspect in the way they go about their work.

He said the NMC is in dialogue with the police to sign a memorandum of understanding to protect journalists during Election 2016.

Mr Blay-Amihere was speaking at news conference in Accra on Monday jointly organised by NMC, Ghana Journalists Association, Private Newspaper Publishers’ Association and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association.

The conference was on the spate of attacks on journalists.

Dr Affail Monney, President of GJA, called on civil society organisations and all progressive force to join in condemning these attacks.

He said the 1992 Constitution guaranteed freedom and independence of the media and any attack on news personnel constitutes an assault on the country’s democracy.

Dr Monney encouraged the police and other security agencies to exercise the greatest restraint in dealing with journalists.

“If we allow the torch bearers of public openness to be cowed by physical attacks, there will be nobody to speak in defence of society when the entire community comes under attack,” he added.

He said the consistency, rapidity and sheer audacity of some of these attacks suggested that respect for law and order and due process could suffer a decline if nothing is done to correct the system.