Ranting over assault on social media wrong – Samson Ayenini to Journalists

Legal practitioner Samson Lardy Ayenini has called out journalists who use social media and radio to express their rage and frustration when they are assaulted.

He says journalists must desist from such acts and rather present the evidence they have to the police immediately.

“If you got assaulted and you left the venue and three days later you’re on radio talking about it shouting, and you’re then being asked now to go and see the police…if I’m the defense lawyer, we will hold you to a certain proof you will not be able to and your case will fall.”

He was speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue on safety of the journalist on Thursday, 2nd May 2019.

Speaking at the same event, Professor Kwame Karikari, Board Member of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) also stated that journalists must use the right procedure and report the matter to police when they are attacked.

“A journalist not rushing to the microphone or to the print when they are attacked or abused but insisting that they do the right thing by going through the protocols of reporting an attack on them is very instructive,” he noted

He however, noted that Ghanaians must fight against political militias trying to evade the country.

His comment follows the death threats against journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, after his exposé on a militia group associated with the governing NPP utilizing an important state facility for training.

“This phenomena of political militias, we must fight against it because it is the beginning of a country descending into the situation like this and we shouldn’t seat down here and not be concerned about it.” He hinted.