The role of the media in the development journey of every society is one that cannot be underestimated.

In Ghana, the framers of the 1992 Constitution ensured that provisions were made to prioritise the protection of the rights and freedom of the media. Article 21 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution guarantees the fundamental human rights of all persons to freedom of speech and expression, which include freedom of the press and other media.

Besides this provision, the media enjoys another level of protection as enshrined under Article 162 of the Constitution. This provision guarantees the freedom and independence of the media – prohibiting censorship and ensuring that no impediments are faced when establishing private media platforms.

The provision also guarantees protection of editors and publishers from penalties and harassment for their editorial pieces.

Despite this protection guaranteed for media practitioners, the framers of the constitution in their wisdom allow some limitations of the rights and freedom of the media under Article 164. These limitations are allowed in the interest of national security, public order, public morality and the protection of other rights and freedoms.

The protection of the rights and freedom of media practitioners is required to enable journalists to freely discharge their duties as the fourth estate of the realm and particularly hold the government accountable to the people.

It is, however, worrying for some media practitioners to turn themselves into channels for misinformation and disinformation, a practice that directly flouts Section 185 of the Criminal Offences Act, Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), and the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038).

The constant and deliberate distortion of information by some Ghanaian journalists, is not only unethical, but also an act that offends the criminal provisions stated above.

The media’s responsibility to serve the public through extensive verification of information is cardinal to accurate publications and cannot be treated as a Carte Blanche for irresponsible journalism. Media practitioners have no holidays for upholding ethical values and professional responsibility.

As such, journalists cannot pick and choose which day and time or which subject matter requires the highest fidelity to the principles of truth and accuracy.

The persistent disregard for facts by some journalists in the face of clear evidence, raises concerns that they are driven by personal vendettas or ulterior motives influenced by some individuals who are under investigation or facing prosecution.

The examples of this insatiable thirst for misleading and distorted publications are numerous. However, for the purposes of direction, I will zero in on a story I came across in one of the papers which screamed in its headline that the OSP has been sued for alleged human rights abuse and extortion.

As usual, I got interested and questioned why officers of Ghana’s leading anti-corruption agency, led by the venerable Kissi Agyebeng, would be accused of extortion. Don’t they fear God at least? I quizzed.

Curiosity, they say, kills a cat – so I got myself a copy of the paper from the newspaper stand, and to my not-so-surprise, nowhere in the story was there a mention of extortion by officers of the Special Prosecutor. Upon some enquiries from friends at the judiciary, the deposition by the plaintiff, Jacob Amuah, makes no such claims against the OSP.

Why then will any journalist of sound mind question the credibility of Kissi Agyebeng? Are we ready to fight corruption? If we do, why do we harbour so much hatred towards a man who is only serving his country to the best of his abilities?

But why am I surprised? Many people have hurled insults and castigated the Special Prosecutor for daring to investigate and prosecute their mentors, uncles, aunties, godmothers, fathers, and friends. So who is the common enemy here – the Special Prosecutor or corruption?

The publication cited above is a clear indication that some journalists who are required to raise awareness of the dire consequences of corruption on the country’s development and also call out those involved in corrupt acts are allowing themselves to be used for cheap propaganda.

Distorting facts to undermine the OSP is reckless journalism that seeks to obstruct the country’s efforts in the fight against corruption and incite public disaffection against the OSP.

The OSP does not need distractions from journalists whose interest is to misrepresent facts – he needs collaborators to hit hard at those dissipating public resources. Cowardly attacking an institution that is discharging its mandate in the face of entrenched resistance is not bravery but utter foolishness.