National Communications Policy To Be Ready Next year

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 8 Dec.,

A National Communications Policy to provide regulatory framework and give a sense of direction to the mass media is to be ready next year, Mr. John Mahama, Deputy Minister of Communication, has announced. He said the necessary preparatory work has been done and that broad consultations with all stakeholders will be carried out soon. The Deputy Minister was launching a 100 million-cedi endowment fund of the Ashanti Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA) in Kumasi. the launching of the fund coincided with the swearing-in of the new Regional Executive of the GJA. Mr.. Mahama hoped the communications policy would help address the limitations of the media, and expressed concern about what he said was a "continued and perpetual negative portrayal of government and public office-holders" by a section of the print media. Mr.. Mahama said Ghana has a high penetration of the Internet and told the media to be more cautious in the treatment of news items that potentially damage the image of the nation. He drew the attention of the GJA to the importance of insisting on formal training of practicing journalists to raise the standard of journalism in the country.

Gri.