The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has called on media practitioners to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, insisting that the credibility of journalism cannot be effectively defended when journalists themselves disregard the principles that sustain public confidence in the profession.
Mr Dwumfour made the appeal on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, when he addressed the Ghana Journalists Association’s 77th anniversary symposium and lecture, where he emphasised that journalists must regard professional integrity as an essential obligation accompanying the freedoms and protections associated with their work.
He explained that members of the profession should be able to depend on the association for training, professional guidance and institutional support whenever legitimate journalistic duties are threatened. Nevertheless, he stressed that such protection must be matched by a corresponding commitment from journalists to preserve the ethical principles upon which the reputation of the profession rests.
According to the GJA President, the association would find it difficult to defend journalism’s standing if practitioners failed to demonstrate the discipline, accuracy and responsibility expected of them.
Mr Dwumfour also used the anniversary commemoration to reflect on the responsibility entrusted to the leadership of the association, describing its executives as custodians of an institution that has been built over several decades through sacrifice, advocacy and sustained professional dedication.
He maintained that the responsibility of present leaders was not simply to manage the association during their respective periods in office, but also to consolidate its achievements and strengthen its institutional foundation for succeeding generations.
The GJA President further recalled the association’s longstanding contribution to Ghana’s media environment, particularly its advocacy for conditions that allow journalists to perform their duties without intimidation, coercion or inappropriate interference.
He reaffirmed the association’s position that an independent press remains indispensable to democratic governance, public accountability and the protection of citizens’ right to reliable information.
Mr Dwumfour said the GJA had over the years collaborated with successive administrations, public institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and media establishments in efforts to advance journalism and reinforce professional standards across the country.
He pointed to training initiatives, professional workshops, conferences and engagements with key stakeholders as some of the measures through which the association has sought to strengthen the knowledge, competence and effectiveness of journalists.
He also recalled the GJA’s repeated interventions whenever media practitioners had faced attacks or threats to their safety and freedom, noting that the association had engaged appropriate authorities in response to such incidents.
Mr Dwumfour maintained that the association’s continued advocacy on behalf of journalists had formed part of its broader commitment to protecting press freedom and creating an environment in which media practitioners could carry out their constitutional responsibilities without fear.
He nevertheless emphasised that defending press freedom could not be separated from the obligation of journalists to exercise professional restraint, verify information carefully and uphold the ethical principles governing the profession.
The GJA President therefore urged journalists to understand that the future strength of Ghana’s media sector would depend not only on the ability of the association to defend its members, but also on the willingness of practitioners to conduct themselves in ways that preserve public confidence.
He said credibility remained one of the most important assets of journalism and warned that the profession’s relevance would inevitably be weakened whenever accuracy, integrity and professional responsibility were compromised.
His remarks form part of a broader message delivered at the GJA’s 77th anniversary events, during which he also urged journalists to place accuracy and verification ahead of the pressure to publish information quickly. He said journalists should be prepared to delay publication where necessary until facts had been properly established.
Mr Dwumfour further noted that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, were transforming the manner in which information was gathered, processed and distributed, but cautioned that technological advancement must not displace the ethical judgment and human responsibility required in credible journalism.
He maintained that journalists must continue to demonstrate curiosity, sound judgment, courage and conscience while using technological tools to support rather than undermine professional practice.
The GJA President’s message ultimately placed professional responsibility at the centre of the association’s anniversary reflections, stressing that the protection of press freedom and the preservation of journalism’s credibility must advance together if the profession is to retain the confidence of the Ghanaian public.
