Call for the protection of journalists as UN day of impunity against journalists is marked

News Commentary calls for the protection of journalists as the UN day of impunity against journalists is marked

 By: Ewurabena Paha,  a journalist

The issue of journalists’ safety remains vitally important. Although killings of journalists have decreased globally, nearly 1,000 journalists have been killed in connection with their work in the last decade. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, threats to the safety of journalists continued to evolve and increase. These threats are also becoming more nuanced and harder to combat. Last year, more journalists were killed in countries supposedly at peace than in war zones, and the percentage of reporters killed on the job who were deliberately targeted was higher than ever before. Many of the victims were working to expose corruption and reported on other sensitive topics. Just a few days ago, on October 29, reporter Arturo Alba Medina was killed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, near the US border. He was the sixth journalist murdered this year in Mexico, In Ghana, the safety of journalists is nothing to be proud of. Though Ghana’s laws and international human rights standards require the state to prevent, prohibit and investigate crimes against journalists, this doesn’t happen. For example, the perpetrators of the murder of  journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale are yet to be brought to justice. The Police initially arrested six persons on suspicion of involvement in the killing, but later released them due to lack of evidence. Since then, no one has been held accountable for the killing of the tiger eye PI journalist, a situation that puts a lot of fear into practitioners.

Journalism is not a crime. Strong democracy needs strong an independent media  to inform citizens, to ensure positive engagement and hold those exercising or aiming for public mandates accountable. This is why it is important for journalists to be protected as other workers. Perpetuating the cycle of impunity against journalists will only increase the risks of the profession and slowly kill the right to information in Ghana. Journalists in Ghana have consistently come under brutal assault in the last five years.  In 2019, Hajia Fati, a supporter of the ruling party, the NPP assaulted a female journalist with the Ghanaian Times newspaper in her line of duty. Two years ago, a TV reporter, Godfred Tanam was assaulted by thugs of the ruling party while on official duty. In 2018 again, two journalists with the multimedia group, Latif  Iddris and Kwesi Parker were assaulted by police officers at separate events while discharging their duties. A former GBC Radio Reporter Yahaya Kwamoah was also assaulted and his sound recorder destroyed by then  Presidential Staffer Stan Dogbe while on assignment at the 37 military hospital. These are but a few of the impunities and attacks on journalists while they carry out their assignments. The UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, both in conflict and non-conflict situations, with a view to strengthening peace, democracy and development worldwide. Its measures include, among other undertakings, the establishment of a coordinated inter-agency mechanism to handle issues related to the safety of journalists as well as assisting countries to develop legislation and mechanisms favorable to freedom of expression and information, and supporting their efforts to implement existing international rules and principles. To further reinforce prevention, the UN Plan of Action recommends working in cooperation with governments, media houses, professional associations and NGOs to conduct awareness raising campaigns on a wide range of issues such as existing international instruments and conventions, the growing dangers posed by emerging threats to media professionals, including non-state actors, as well as various existing practical guides on the safety of journalists.

It is without doubt that the president of the Ghana Journalists Association Affail Monney on the occasion of UN day to end impunity against journalists asked  that crimes against journalists  be dealt with according to law. Mr. Monney in his view believes that letting perpetrators go unpunished makes it difficult to deal with the root cause of impunity against those in the profession. Ghana’s ranking on the league table of international journalists has declined due to  several attacks on journalists by persons who know the law including the police. This year, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is highlighting the important role of prosecutorial services, not only in bringing killers to justice, but also prosecuting threats of violence. In a message marking the day,  the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, noted that many journalists have lost their lives while covering conflict, but the number of media workers killed outside conflict zones has risen in recent years. “In many countries, simply investigating corruption, trafficking, human rights violations or environmental issues puts journalists’ lives at risk”, a situation the UN boss described as sad which has to be dealt with at all cost. Imagine a world without information and a country like Ghana without journalists? The role of journalists in any economy is so crucial that any attempt to thwart their efforts will not only dent the democracy of that country but will largely rob its people of their very existence. Let us celebrate journalists and protect them by all means because as the saying goes;  Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its prominent fault. It must speak, and do so immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.

 By Ewurabena Paha,  a journalist