National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has called for greater investment in media organisations to help journalists maintain professional standards and remain independent.

Speaking at the 4th Bono Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards in Sunyani, Asiedu Nketiah said media houses needed adequate resources to recruit and retain competent journalists, conduct investigations and maintain effective newsrooms, particularly across regions.

He said journalists should be able to build sustainable careers without becoming financially dependent on politicians, businesses or institutions they are expected to scrutinise.

“If we want high professional standards and sustainability, then the practice deserves serious attention,” he said.

According to the NDC Chairman, the quality of journalism is closely connected to the working conditions and resources available to journalists.

He said media organisations needed the capacity to verify information, conduct investigations and maintain professional newsrooms beyond Accra.

Asiedu Nketiah also stressed the importance of regional journalism to Ghana’s democracy, arguing that the national conversation should not be centred largely on developments in the capital.

He cited the activities of farmers in Dormaa, businesses in Berekum and young people seeking employment in Wenchi; as issues that form part of the country’s broader national story.

He said developments involving district hospitals, schools, roads and spending by district assemblies may not always feature in press conferences but remain matters of public interest.

The NDC Chairman therefore urged journalists to move beyond official statements and investigate issues within communities, markets, farms, schools, hospitals and public records. He also appealed to politicians to create an environment where journalists can ask difficult questions without such inquiries automatically being viewed as hostility.

Asiedu Nketiah said politicians should not expect accuracy from journalists while withholding information needed to produce accurate reports.

He further encouraged public officials to welcome difficult questions, noting that such scrutiny could expose issues that people within their immediate circles might be reluctant to raise.

The NDC Chairman congratulated journalists who received awards at the ceremony and urged them to protect the reputations they have built throughout their careers.

He said the public eventually recognises journalists who verify facts, understand their subjects and remain trustworthy, particularly when covering politically sensitive issues.

Asiedu Nketiah described professional reputation as an asset that takes years to build and urged the award winners and other media practitioners to guard it carefully.

NA/VPO