Vice President calls for training programmes for Journalists

Accra, Aug 10, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, called on Media organizations to organize training programmes frequently fo= r their reporters to avoid the recurrence of daily fundamental mistakes. "Although we see some of these mistakes as occupational hazards, the= re is the need for Journalists to make conscious efforts to adhere to the standards and ethics to make their work professional."

Vice President Mahama made the call when he chaired the 10th anniversary celebration of the repeal of the criminal libel law in Ghana, under the theme: 93A decade of advocacy for press freedom and freedom of expression." The programme, which was organized by Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), was attended by Vice President John Dramani Mahama, former Presiden= t John Agyekum Kufuor, Nana Akuffo Addo Dankwa, Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, the civil society and media and legal luminaries. Vice President Mahama said although the repeal of the criminal libel law had contributed immensely towards the democratic dispensation of the country, current personality attacks on various websites in terms of comments were not only retrogressive, but also an indictment on the entire Ghanaian society.

He also expressed dissatisfaction at the behaviour of newspaper Journalists, who hide rejoinders and failing to give them the necessary publicity that the initial stories generate, even though they were ethicall= y compelled to do so. Vice President Mahama attributed the inadequate funding of the Nationa= l Media Commission to the fact that, it was not a constitutional permanent Commission, like others and proposed the establishment of a special fund to cater for the logistical needs of the Commission to execute its mandatory functions. Professor Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of MFWA said although other factors had contributed to media freedom, it was the repeal of the criminal libel law that created an environment for democratic expansion in the country and paid glowing tribute to Mr Kabral Blay Amihere and Mrs Gift= y Afenyi-Dadzie, among others, who spearheaded the struggle for the repeal of the law. He appealed to the Ghana Independent Broadcasting Association to organize training programmes for their hosts and panel members to stem the frequent intemperate language that was used on Radio and Television network= s in the country.

He further appealed to Parliament to repeal section 208 of the Crimina= l Libel law, which was on fear and panic, to provide further freedom to the media. Mr Ransford Tetteh, President of Ghana Journalist Association called o= n government to expedite action on the passing of the right to information bill into law. He promised that the GJA would continue to liaise with other collaborators to provide necessary training programmes for Journalists to adhere to laid down ethics and standards. There were solidarity messages from the Trades Union Congress, Ghana Pentecostal Council, Women Movements and Coalition of Muslim organizations of Ghana.