President John Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to press freedom, stressing that he will never condone attacks on journalists in any form.
Addressing journalists at the Presidential Media Encounter at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama condemned the growing incidents of harassment of media practitioners, particularly by security personnel at public events.
“I’ve condemned assaults on journalists in any form. Journalists are doing their job, and their job is to bring news to the doorsteps of our people and to inform, educate and entertain them,” he said.
The President noted with concern that some security officers have developed a “passion” for harassing journalists. He stressed that this culture must end through a combination of education, sanctions, and stronger collaboration between the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the security services.
“It’s a matter of sanctioning people who assault journalists. I’ve been speaking with the President of the GJA, and we’re going to bring them together with the security agencies so they can carry out awareness among their personnel. If you see a journalist at an event, he is also doing a job, just like the security officer is doing his job. You don’t have the right to assault or manhandle them,” Mr. Mahama emphasized.
The President assured that his government will continue to work closely with media stakeholders to ensure journalists can operate in a safe and supportive environment.
“As a lifetime member of the GJA, there’s no way I’ll condone the assault of journalists in any form,” he added.