Nana Addo Charges Media to be Credible

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged media practitioners in Ghana to be mindful of their headlines, breaking news and reportage as a whole in order not to sacrifice the future of the country through their work.

Addressing the 12th congregation ceremony of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) at Okponglo, the new site of the academic institution, under the theme; “Strengthening Media Literacy and Communication Excellence in Ghana”, President Akufo-Addo said journalists in Ghana ought to be mindful of the power they wield and the responsibility they owe the society.

“The media has immeasurable power to build up the confidence and values of our society and its institutions, and, therefore, ought to be assisted in being on top of its game at all times,” he said.

Stressing on the importance of the media to the political, social and economic architecture of the country, the President noted that, like many other good things, the work of the media has its own associated risks and inherent challenges, especially in this age of social media.

With the first challenge being the risk of deliberate misinformation campaigns by some elements in the democratic space, President Akufo-Addo indicated that this is a major threat to the integrity of the news world.

He added “media practitioners must take a second look at the power they wield and the responsibility they owe society with the view to ensuring that they do not sacrifice integrity and the future of our society for today’s headline or breaking news”

The President encouraged media owners, in particular, to invest continuously in building the capacity of their staff, as the media has immeasurable power to build up the confidence and values of society and its institutions.

He reiterated Government’s commitment towards empowering the citizen, media and civil society, and assured that the Right to Information Bill, which is in Parliament, will be passed.

However, the President said he believes that “it is time to produce here in Ghana, the best newspapers and media outlets in Africa if not in the world”.