<<Print>>

Journalists have been reminded to be ethical and show strong sense of responsibility in the performance of their duty to help promote enduring peace in the society.

The President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Mr. Akwasi Agyemang, said they must stick to best practices – factual and balanced reportage.

They should never allow their political preferences to obscure the credibility and fairness of the news they write, he added.

He was contributing to discussions at an “Editors forum” held in Kumasi by Vodafone Ghana, one of the leading telecommunication companies in the country.

The goal was to assist the media to play its role more effectively by maintaining high standards of professionalism.

Mr. Agyemang spoke of the need for the media practitioners to be guided by the national interest and avoid doing anything that might hurt the nation’s image and standing.

It should be wary of reports likely to either stoke tension or scare potential investors from putting their money into the economy.

Mr. Samuel Ato Afful, General Manager of YFM, a Kumasi-based FM radio station, said it was important to strengthen journalism training and encourage journalists them to build competencies through specialization.

This, he said, was the way to go to enrich their reports.

He was particularly not happy with the situation where some people are engaged by FM radio stations merely on the basis that they are fluent in the use of the local language – Twi and said “the bar needs to be raised”.

Mr. Afful appealed to owners and managers of the media houses to make sure that people they hired, had basic professional training and qualification required to perform the assigned task.

He also urged the National Media Commission (NMC) do more to regulate and aid journalists to uphold professional ethics.