Journalists must avoid cronyism - Blay-Amihere

Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, President of the West Africa Journalists Association (WAJA), on Friday cautioned journalists against allowing cronyism to influence their day-to-day relationship with government.

He said since journalists supported the national movement for change they would have no place to hide if the new government fails to deliver the positive change it promised.

Speaking on the topic: "Positive change and the media", Mr Blay-Amihere said expectations raised by Ghanaians after they voted for the NPP government shows the pressure on it to deliver on its promises.

Mr Blay-Amihere was delivering the keynote address at the annual general meeting of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Accra at which a new seven-member executive was sworn into office for a two-year term.

"The government should be made to know that the mandate given to it by the people is not an invitation to a tea party," the WAJA president said.

Journalists, he said, should avoid sycophancy in order not to undermine their value as watchdogs for society.

Mr Blay-Amihere pledged the GJA's assistance for President Kufuor's administration "if it shares information with the media, repeals the criminal libel law and passes the Freedom of Information Act."

He advised the government to pursue development based on free choices by the people so that it gets the ambience to tackle pressing national matters.

"This is the best time for the President and his government to raise the full potential of Ghanaians by granting them the choices and opportunities for personal development."

Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, GJA President, said the growing public recognition of the power of the media "must spur journalists onto greater heights."

"We must guard against complacency and always strive for excellence, by upholding the ethics of our profession."

The GJA, Mrs Affenyi-Dadzie said, is waiting on the government to fulfil its promise of scrapping the criminal libel law and other laws inimical to media practice and the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act.

She said the GJA is setting up an observatory to monitor ethical violations. GJA is among four West Africa journalists associations benefiting from the self-regulatory exercise being sponsored by the International Federation of Journalists with funds from the European Union.

She also announced that the GJA would finalise "in a month or two" arrangements for the purchase of "a more spacious and prestigious press centre of our own."

Mr Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), said it is not influenced by people, high or low, in the discharge of its functions.

He called for collaboration between the NMC and the GJA to enable the Commission gain the needed legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

The new seven-member GJA executive has Mrs Affenyi-Dadzie as President, Mr Yaw Owusu-Addo, Vice President, Mr Bright Blewu, General Secretary, Nii Nortey Duah, Deputy General Secretary, Ms Yaa Oforiwah Acquah, Treasurer, Mr Matthew Mac-Kwame and Mr Affail Monney, executive members.