PRINPANG President Lawyer Andrew Edwin Arthur
Story by: Ishmael Barfi
The government of Ghana has been called upon to do everything to save the Ghanaian media from dying.
This call by the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) is to ensure media houses irrespective of their political affiliation can strive to promote press freedom.
According to the group, there’s an urgent need for the government to put in place measures that will save the media industry from imminent collapse.
This year’s theme was “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other human rights.”
In a statement to commemorate World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, PRINPAG President, lawyer Andrew Edwin Arthur appealed to the government to re-strategize its media policy, particularly the distribution of state-sponsored adverts and support all media houses to be able to stand on their feet.
This, Edwin Arthur said, will benefit the majority of media houses in the country and go a long way to save the industry from eventual collapse.
“We urge the Government’s media handlers not to discriminate in their dealings with the media but to open up and to bring all media practitioners and their organizations on board to promote the national agenda.”
“PRINPAG urges the Government and its media handlers to consider bringing all media houses onto a common platform, irrespective of perceived political persuasion as a way of making information readily accessible to all to avoid the situation where due to lack of information some media houses are left with no option than to engage in speculations and conjectures to survive.”
“This way, the Government and its media handlers will be promoting press freedom and pluralism of the media, which is crucial for our development in these contemporary times, not forgetting the need to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.”
Edwin also called for all lovers of media freedom to stand and defend media practitioners by condemning all acts that end up negatively affecting the practice of journalism in the country.
“It is also a wake-up call to all lovers of media growth to partner with the Ghanaian media and to support them in these difficult times to stand on their feet to defend our nation and our enviable democracy, which has become the toast of many in recent times.”
He saluted all media practitioners in Ghana for their sacrifices to take up the crucial role of media practice in a democratic society.
PRINPAG he assured would continue to uphold the fundamental human rights of all persons and also use its mediums to protect and promote the rights of all persons in the country and strictly do so by displaying professionalism and understanding of the nuances of the journalism profession.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
