Stop hiding under the guise of media freedom - Akufo-Addo FIRES journalists

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called out Ghanaian journalists who hiding under the guise of press freedom to churn out false stories.

President Akufo-Addo advised the media to desist from the unethical practice of misinforming the public and learn to retract and apologise for wrong publications.

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Monday, 9th September 2019, when he delivered a speech at the 2019 Bar Conference of the Ghana Bar Association, in Takoradi, in the Western Region.

He stated that politicians are not the only people susceptible to mistakes but media practitioners, like all other humans, can also make mistakes, “and when they do, they should have the humility to acknowledge their error and not have their misdeeds atoned under the guise of media freedom”.

In his opinion, “irresponsible media practice is an abuse of the freedom of expression”.

This, he said, is one of the surest ways of addressing the current shortcomings and ills of the media landscape.

Deliberate misinformation campaigns, President Akufo-Addo stressed, have now gained added currency, with the proliferation of media channels, including social media.

Additionally, he noted that a major threat to the integrity of the news world is the publication of unverified claims, in the haste to be first to break so-called “news”.

“In such cases, even after the public has been misinformed, and the true facts are later made known, media often chickens out of an honest open acknowledgement that “we erred.” The response is often to refuse to apologise or sweep it under the carpet, and move on to the next big story,” the President said.

He continued, “Politicians are not the only persons who make mistakes. Media practitioners, like all human beings, can also make mistakes, and, when they do, they should have the humility to acknowledge their error, and not have their misdeeds atoned under the guise of ‘media freedom’. Irresponsible media practice is an abuse of freedom of expression, not its manifestation”.

Describing the killing of Ahmed Suale as “a sad and unfortunate moment for us all”, President Akufo-Addo noted that “it was equally sad and unfortunate when this heinous act was described, without any evidence, as an attack on media freedom.”

Crime, he said, is a crime, and the law enforcement agencies are required to ensure that the perpetrators of crime are rapidly apprehended and prosecuted.

“Strenuous efforts are being made to find the killer or killers of Ahmed Suale, who will be found and made to face justice,” he added.

The media, the President added, has immeasurable power to build up the confidence and values of Ghanaian society and its institutions.

“I call on Ghanaian media practitioners to take a second look at the power they wield, and the responsibility they owe society, with a view to ensuring that they do not sacrifice integrity and the future of our society for today’s headline or breaking news,” he said.