Accra, Feb.1, GNA - The Reverend Professor S.K. Adjepong, Principal of the Methodist University in Accra, at the weekend advised journalists to abide by their professional code of ethics and to work towards self-regulation to ensure media responsibility.
He said the law could not guarantee the enforcement of ethical behaviour and media practitioners should accept public criticism in good faith and be prepared to correct their mistakes.
Rev. Prof. Adjepong was speaking at the second matriculation of Africa Institute of Journalism and Communications (AIJC), under the theme: "Setting the Standards in Excellence", in Accra.
He said Ghanaians, apart from the judiciary now looked up to the media for the protection of their rights and urged journalists to be responsible, transparent, timely and accurate in the performance of their work.
Rev. Prof. Adjepong said there was a general feeling among Ghanaians that media personnel, including some "seasoned and veteran practitioners" abused media freedom under the new democratic dispensation.
He advised journalists to refrain from misdemeanours, use of impolite language, sensationalism, biased reporting and partisanship. Rev. Prof. Adjepong said the private newspapers over-concentrated on alleged corruption, scandals and abuse of power by the executive arm of government and other public officials while issues concerning rural communities, health, education and environment received very little coverage.
"The observed excesses and lapses point to the fact that the Ghanaian media still have many miles to cover in their quest for professional excellence", he added.
He called on the Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) to regulate the activities of journalists apart from dealing with infraction of media ethics.
Rev. Prof. Adjepong urged the GJA and NMC to liaise with the media training institutions to organise life-long training programmes for journalists to enable them to be abreast with current global practices.
In a speech read for him, Nana Akomea, Minister for Information, said the Ministry appreciated AIJC's contribution to the development of communication practice in Ghana and Africa.
He urged the students to be patriotic and to exhibit high sense of professionalism towards national development.
Mr Kojo Yankah, Founder and President of the Institute, announced that final year students would soon start a course in reporting online. He said over the last year, the Institute was admitted as partner to Washington based International Centre for Journalists, which he said, qualified the AIJC to benefit from Fellows who would be periodically sent to train journalists on the continent.
Mr Yankah said the Institute also collaborated with the United States Embassy to organise a course in HIV/AIDS reporting for students, adding that AIJC was making discussions with other local and international organisations to establish partnership.
Mr Atukwei Okai, Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association, said journalism was noble profession, and urged the students to reflect excellent attitude so that they could become agents of social change.
Solidarity messages were read from the GJA, Ghana Institute of Journalism, Institute of Public Relations, Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Advertisers Association and the Private Newspaper Publisher and Proprietors Association. Mr Ato Amoaning-Annan, Acting Director of the Institute administered the Matriculation Oath to 84 students, made of 52 female and 32 male, who were admitted to read courses in Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing.
