The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin is urging journalists not to lose sight of the rights of people involved in the discharge of their duties.
He argues that even though journalists perform a critical function in all aspects of society, their efforts may be undermined by a failure to adhere to tenets of the profession.
Mr. Bagbin who was speaking at an event to launch Daily Graphic’s 2020 Ghana Year Book tasked the media to be circumspect at all times, and respect news makers.
“What you do is sacred but without your audience, you will not have much to do. Respect the distinct roles you have in society, enjoy what you do, but you must not forget to respect the people from whom you generate your content.”
He added that journalists need to be professional at all times.
“Abide by the ethics of the profession because that is the only way to avoid the joke which says ‘a lawyer will destroy someone’s life for $400 per hour, but a journalist will do it for free.’ Journalists are certainly better than that, but it requires effort in order to bring that to light,” he added.