Thumbs up to professionals holding the fort

Dear Editor,

Journalists put in lots of effort to deliver good content and stories to the public and I must say our local practitioners, over the years, continue to perform this function satisfactorily.

As the practitioners serve the public interest, a number of factors continue to undermine the crucial role they play. Notable among them is media ownership structure which, to a great extent, limits the ‘neutral role’ practitioners are expected to play when performing their duties.

A follow up to the above, is the practice where some media houses prioritise speed over facts and, in effect, churn out stories which sometimes do more harm than good.

Apart from remuneration, some practitioners are sometimes threatened or assaulted in their line of work. These and many others have, indeed, become a disincentive to the noble profession.

In spite of the setbacks, some practitioners continue to serve diligently with the hope that things would change for better. But while they keep hope alive, I wish to urge the relevant bodies to work harder to enhance the image of the profession.

While I call for sanctions on journalists who disregard codes of conduct, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) should ensure people who assault journalists are brought to book. The association should prioritise the interest of journalists by demanding fair wages, job security and better working conditions for practitioners.

Private and public institutions should continue to deepen collaboration with established media outlets, lead initiatives that promote transparency and accountability, and help break the barrier of practitioners presenting one-sided stories.

I say thumbs up to those who continue to hold the fort, and again urge journalists and media houses to build a united front and support, speak up and defend their mandate whenever it is trampled upon.

Deborah Mawunya Aflakpui,  

Student, Ghana Institute of Journalism                              

NCCE sensitisation in order

Dear Editor,

Last weekend your widely-read newspaper carried a story on page three in which the National Media Commission (NCCE) was cautioning young people not to fall for enticement from extremists.

I believe the call is in order and wish to commend the Commission for its effort in creating the awareness of the danger. Apart from that publication, I have also noticed other radio jingles the NCCE had sponsored on this same subject.

Violent extremism, indeed, is the new enemy and we must all be on our guard. Some security analysts have said that in the face of increasing unemployment, some young people who have “nothing to lose” may easily adopt the extremist approach when push comes to shove.

This is why I find the public education by the NCCE timely and urge them to do more as the government focuses on creating more opportunities for the youth.

Frank Kumi,

Kasoa.