Minister cautions journalists not to inflame passions

Tamale, July 8, GNA- Mr Andrews Awuni, Deputy Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, has cautioned journalists working in the Northern Region to be careful not to inflame passions in the Dagbon crisis.

He said, "you must be careful of what you say and what you give out to the people since it is always difficult to retract all that you have sent out from the minds of the people".

Mr Awuni was interacting with journalists at a "Press Soiree" organized by the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) after his one-day working visit to the region to acquaint himself with media houses in Tamale on Monday.

He urged journalists not to be carried away by the press freedom enshrined in the Constitution but to use their professional skills to help improve the living conditions of the people, especially the rural communities.

In an answer to a question about a government's communications policy, Mr Awuni said the government favoured a pluralistic and libertarian press, explaining that each media house has its own editorial policy, which the government cannot interfere with.

He urged journalists to use the press freedom they are now enjoying to bring about qualitative improvement in the lives of the people. They can do this, for instance, by educating the people on issues of health, nutrition, agriculture, education and the economy to enable them to make informed contributions towards national development, he said.

Mr Ernest Debrah, Northern Regional Minister commended journalists in the region for their support in the administration of the area. He said: " You have played a major role by helping to bring the situation in Dagbon under control through your accurate reportage on the crisis".

" I urge you to continue to support my administration to find a lasting solution to other problems facing the region".

Mr Debrah announced that the RCC would institute a monthly "Meet the Press" series to deliberate on the way forward for the region.

Mr Alhassan Imoro, Northern Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA), advised the media in the region not to rush to publish stories but to always cross check their facts first, saying, "it is good for us to compete but this must not be done at the expense of accuracy".