Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has assured the Ghanaian media that government will investigate allegations of attacks and brutal treatment of journalists during the demolition exercise at La Pleasure Beach on October 2.
Dr Debrah gave the assurance while serving as Special Guest of Honour at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association Media Awards in Accra on Wednesday, October 7.
He reaffirmed government’s commitment to safeguarding press freedom and said allegations of violence against journalists during the demolition exercise would be followed up.
His comments followed concerns raised by the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association regarding the treatment of journalists who were covering the operation.
Dr Debrah stressed that the relationship between the media and public authorities must be founded on mutual responsibilities, with government expected to provide timely information, respond appropriately to legitimate questions and protect the freedom of journalists to perform their duties.
At the same time, he urged journalists to maintain professional standards and exercise responsibility in their pursuit of breaking news.
He advised media practitioners to verify information, provide affected persons with a fair opportunity to respond, distinguish established facts from opinion and correct inaccuracies whenever they occur.
The Chief of Staff cautioned that disagreement with a headline or editorial conclusion should not automatically be interpreted as hostility towards the media, just as legitimate scrutiny of public officials should not be regarded as disloyalty.
He said the pursuit of speed must never undermine national stability or unfairly damage the reputation of individuals.
Dr Debrah also drew attention to the rapid transformation of journalism through technology and new media, noting that mobile phones increasingly function as newsrooms, radio studios, television stations and printing presses for journalists and content creators.
He acknowledged that the expansion of digital journalism and blogging had lowered traditional barriers to entry, created employment opportunities for young people and given previously overlooked voices greater access to public discourse.
Nevertheless, he maintained that the fundamental principles of journalism remain constant regardless of the platform through which information is disseminated.
He therefore encouraged journalists and digital content creators to verify information before publication, distinguish allegations from established facts, respect privacy and human dignity, disclose conflicts of interest and openly correct errors when they occur.
