Media have a role to play in shaping the country --Yankah

Kumasi (Ashanti), 7 Dec.'98 - Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister, on Saturday enjoined journalists to make criticisms in good faith, reminding them of the role of the media in shaping the destiny of the country. He said programmes and policies initiated by the government and all other related issues for the socio-economic advancement of the country "cannot get anywhere" without the mass media. Mr Yankah was having a first-time interaction with journalists in the region at the residency in Kumasi since he assumed duty as the new Ashanti Regional Minister about a week ago. He emphasised that the media has played a significant role in reducing ignorance among the peoples of the world. "Without the media there would have been much ignorance in society but when the media hides vital information on issues that affect the people from them, it creates tension in society". On priority programmes for the region, Mr Yankah observed that the region abounds in many potentials, which have not been tapped and these would be well packaged and marketed to the world as its contribution to the world's civilisation. Mr Kwaku Danso, the newly-elected Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), pledged the support of the members to promote the region and other developments which affect especially the people in the rural areas.