Mustapha Hamid Defends Affail Monney

The Minister of Information, Mr Mustapha Hamid has defended the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Roland Affail Monney on the statement he issued to caution journalists about investigative reporting.

According to him, Mr Monney committed no crime in the issuance of the said statement because the statement was in the right direction.

“In my view, I think Mr Monney has committed no crime in his statement”, he said, adding that, “they were very correct and very purposeful”.

Mr Hamid said this at the opening of a three-day workshop on investigative journalism on free movement and migration of people, organised by Media Response, an NGO for about 30 journalists and media practitioners in Accra.

Mr Hamid said Mr Monney’s statement was to help ensure constructive journalism rather than destructive journalism.

Looking into the face of Mr Monney who was also present at the function, Mr Hamid said: “I don’t think you should regret about the statement.”

Mr Monney has come under attack but Mr Hamid said it was wrong to assume that the statement was meant to discourage investigative journalism in the country.

Touching on the workshop, Mr Hamid said, it is important that media practitioners learned the skills of investigative journalism and media practice well to help better their reportage.

He said government would revive the media fund to help ensure that media practitioners in the country received training.

Mr Monney who was also at the opening ceremony of the workshop commended Media Response for the workshop.

He said it is better journalists continued to update their knowledge in the practice of journalism as the world of journalism is becoming more complex and dynamic.

Source: Graphic