- For rubbishing media blackouts
President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has slammed the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC) Mr. Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo for questioning GJA’s media blackout strategy against politicians who attack journalists.
Last Friday in Kumasi, during an election reporting workshop for journalists organized by the GJA and the US Embassy Ghana Elections 2024 Project, the Chairman of the National Media Commission, Mr. Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, characterized as “unproductive and dysfunctional” the GJA’s decision to blacklist the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya, Minister for Fisheries Hawa Koomson, and Member of Parliament for Yendi Farouk Aliu Mahama for their attacks on journalists.
”I still hold the position that while it is disheartening for journalists to be attacked violently, the unilateral resolve to black out or boycott the MPs is not the most productive reaction.”Mr Ayeboafo further indicated.
However, in a swift rebuttal, the President of the GJA said he was extremely disappointed in the NMC chair for making such comments
“We see this situation, the media itself, as abnormal, and in abnormal situations, you don’t need dysfunctional or functional minds to treat abnormal situations.
….You deal with it abnormally, and that is the position of the GJA. I’m utterly shocked that no other person came here to use our platform to chastise us than the NMC Chair.
“He’s a senior journalist and a veteran. He didn’t take his time to even ascertain from us what informed the decision, he hasn’t communicated to us. And he just came here to say it’s just dysfunctional? He couldn’t give us functional ways to solve it, and he has run away.”Mr Dwumfour indicated.