President of the Ghana Journalists Association, GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, has urged journalists to make their personal security their foremost priority while covering the 2024 elections.
He said even though the Ghana Police Service has assured us that they will put in place measures to ensure the safety of journalists, the police have not given the media enough reasons to trust them with 100 percent security for journalists; therefore, there is a need for all journalists to take their personal security seriously.
Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, Mr. Dwumfuor stated that there have been numerous reported cases of police attacks on journalists. He anticipated that the police would address these cases to provide complete protection to the media, but this has not yet occurred.
He also mentioned that if a journalist makes a mistake and disinforms, misinforms, or spreads fake news, the police will immediately intervene in accordance with two obscene laws.
He cited that in about 2001, the ex-president, John Agyekum Kuffour, repealed the Criminal Libel Law to allow freedom of speech and for journalists to operate without fear. This was the same law that made defamation cases civil, rather than criminal.
However, he claimed that the police had successfully passed new laws enabling them to detain people for publishing false information, remand them, and question the number of people detained for attacking journalists.
“We believe they are doing their job; we have confidence that the police will be professional and they will provide us with the security as they promised, but you should personally take your security seriously,” he said.
Mr. Dwumfuor advised journalists to make themselves easily identifiable in their attire by wearing branded T-shirts, especially those at the hot spots.
“As you are going to the polling stations and collation centers, make sure whatever you are going to do, you live to tell the story; don’t be the story,” he stated.
The GJA President also mentioned that journalists should note the escape and exit plan when they find themselves in dangerous situations.
He said the GJA will launch two emergency numbers today to enable journalists to call in case they find themselves in threatening situations.
He urged journalists to download the ‘Media Watch’ app and log in with their details, so that the GJA can intervene when they find themselves in attacking situations.
He explained further that if someone is in danger, the person can just record and send without calling, adding that with the app, the details, including date, time, and location, can be seen, and the GJA will intervene with the police.
Mr. Dwumfuor also urged journalists to remain calm and professional in extreme provocative situations, emphasizing the importance of being aware of their surroundings.
He advised those going to hotspot zones to wear helmets so that in case someone throws something at them, they won’t be hurt, adding that journalists should not carry heavy items on them so that they can run for their lives.
Again, he urged journalists to be circumspect, despite their political affiliations, and fact-check information before putting it out there.
He also noted that journalists play a pivotal role in this election, urging them all to help save the peace in Ghana.
Ghana l Atinkaonline.com l Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori