IMANI Africa President, Franklin Cudjoe even though sympathizing with the challenges journalists goes through to put out information has advised that journalists and media houses not to provide platforms for propaganda and spin from politicians.
Speaking on The Big Issue he said journalist and media houses should find ways to tell compelling stories that do not focus on partisan politics. creative
[contextly_sidebar id=”iMNsW3aAUMbn47c6A5NnHxkbvzLb1pmH”]“I see the challenge with which the media works but we should be able to see journalism that moves away from the political spin ones that all these politicians feed us with, you will spin a lot because they [Politician] don’t want to give you what would prevent you from spinning. So maybe the media should decide on the need to move away from the spin created by politicians and create more interesting and entertaining ways of bringing the news,” he said.
He further acknowledged the efforts of journalists to expose corruption and corrupt officials adding that the lack of access of information hampers their work.
Cudjoe was commenting on the state of the media in a week World Press Freedom Day was marked.
“The press is supposed to be getting us the information but they are not getting the critical information usually putting out what they heard, sometimes in a half-hearted manner, only for the politician to confirm or deny unfortunately that is the being of our media space and democracy, which is something that is very difficult.”
“We should be constantly suspicious of officialdom and to the extent that information is one of the defining major reason aspects of democracy where freedom of information should thrive that in itself is a matter that we all should be enjoying to speak about.”
For years the lack of a freedom of information law has impeded the work of journalists and independent reporting.
In March, Parliament passed the Right to Information (RTI) Bill into law.
The RTI Bill had been in Parliament for close to two decades.
About a month after the Right to Information Bill was passed by Parliament, it has not been forwarded to the Office of the President for assent.
It has however not been assented to yet by the President to make it law even though it will take effect in 2020.
About RTI
The RTI is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the country’s 1992 Constitution and recognized as a right under International Conventions on Human rights.