The Editors Forum (EFG) has expressed dismay and concern over the rampant assaults and other forms of intimidation of journalists and other media personnel in recent times.
It stated that the media existed to serve society and, therefore, even when media practitioners erred in trying to serve public interest, brutalising them was reprehensible and not the
way to seek redress or prevent them from telling the story.
“Journalists are only the society’s messengers and there is no justification for killing the messenger, no matter how unpalatable the message,” the forum said.
This was contained in a statement signed and issued in Accra yesterday by the Chairperson of the EFG, Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari.
“Indeed, physical attacks on media practitioners are counter-productive because they only serve to put the spotlight on the perpetrators, their institutions or whatever it is they wish to
prevent from being publicised.
“Nevertheless, even as we condemn the attacks, the EFG also cautions media colleagues to make professionalism and fairness central to their work to avoid generating bad blood,” it
stated.
The forum reminded media colleagues to be mindful of the fact that news was “usually something that somebody does not want to be made public, hence the need for objectivity at all
times”.
It advised members of the public who might have grievances against any journalist or media house to feel free to complain to the management of that media house, the Ghana
Journalists Association or the National Media Commission for redress.
“An assault on a journalist going about their news-gathering duties is an assault on all other practitioners as well as an attack on freedom of expression, which underpins democracy,”
it said.
“Furthermore, as has been proven time and again, the media you assault today may be the institution whose assistance you may need to tell your story tomorrow,” it added.
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