The National Media Commission Chair, Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, has said his outfit cannot be expected to leap to the defence of journalists who breach the law in their work.
Mr. Ayeboafo said one of his challenges is that “people think that we must defend everybody irrespective of what they do for as long as they are media people.”
He suggested that there was currently an “unwillingness to accept the liability attached to the expression [of freedom of speech].”
Mr. Ayeboafo reminded that the commission worked in the interest of more than just journalists, and that they exists for all Ghanaians.
“The National Media Commission is not for journalists. It is for every Ghanaian. So if you are a journalist, and you malign an individual, it is the duty of the Media Commission to [support] that individual who has been so maligned,” he explained.
“The National Media Commission is sent out with national resources, and the nation is responsible for the rights of every Ghanaian.”
Because of the commission’s mandate, Mr. Ayeboafo added that “we cannot sit down and allow one group of Ghanaians to be undermining the rights of another Ghanaian.”
A few broadcasters have faced scrutiny and arrest for comments made in public, calling into question the limits of freedom of speech and the reach of the criminal code.
Accra FM’s Kwabena Bobie Ansah, was for example arrested for alleging that the First Lady and the Vice President’s wife had fraudulently acquired State lands at AU village, and around the Kotoka International Airport.
Mr. Ayeboafo urged journalists and broadcasters to heed the guidance of the commission.
“The expectation is that if the National Media Commission says to put a brake on what you are doing, people will respect that because it is better than the policeman arresting you.”
Notwithstanding the recent arrests, the commission’s chair stressed that Ghanaian media was in a healthier place than before.
“We are in better times than before, what we need to do is to make sure we are more professional in the things that we do,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of journalists maintaining their integrity in such matters.
“If we as journalists want to be relevant to the people of Ghana, then we must take the first step and not defend when it is indefensible, otherwise we will lose face and every one of us will be put together and labelled as bad journalists.”
Mr. Ayeboafo was contributing to a roundtable discussion on freedom of speech and media freedom on Friday organized by Citi FM in collaboration with the NMC.
The roundtable discussion also featured the lawyer, George Sarpong, the founder of the Media Foundation for West Africa, Prof. Kwame Karikari, and the Managing Partner for Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah, Ace Ankomah.
It was moderated by Vivian Kai Lokko, Head of News at Citi FM and Citi TV.