Broadcaster and host of Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Kojo Yankson, has criticised successive governments for their poor handling of attacks on journalists in Ghana.
His remarks follow the Presidential Media Encounter held at Jubilee House on September 10. Yankson accused political leaders of consistently failing to confront the issue directly and decisively.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, he questioned President John Mahama’s recent proposal for the media and security services to meet and discuss the increasing threats and violence faced by journalists.
“Why would President John Mahama, in response to the uptake in attacks on journalists, say that he is going to get the media to meet with the security services?” Yankson asked.
“All it should take is one command, and this should stop. Why is he bringing the victim and the attacker together for a conference? Why is that the solution?” he further questioned.
Yankson argued that the problem lies not merely in policy proposals but in the mindset of the political class, which he believes fails to fully appreciate the role of the press.
“There is always something missing when it comes to head-on dealing with media attacks,” he said.
“Every political regime we’ve had recently gets it wrong. And it’s because their attitude towards journalists and who we are is skewed.”
According to him, treating journalist safety as a matter for negotiation rather than immediate action and accountability reflects a deep misunderstanding of the media’s role in a democratic society.