By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Director-General (DG) of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Professor Amin Alhassan, is advocating for a review of Ghana’s Media Policy and Regulatory System.
The Director General believes Ghana’s Media Policy and Regulatory System which was put together 30 years ago needs an immediate review to meet current trends.
Professor Amin Alhassan made the call at the Opening Ceremony of the maiden retreat organised for the national executive body of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) at the plush Mount Pleasant Inns Hotel and Apartment at Obosomase in the Eastern region.
According to the DG, ideas of 30 years ago cannot regulate an industry that is changing rapidly.
He explained that the framers of the 1992 Constitution who came up with the current document only considered how the Media Policy and Regulatory System will help to nurture Ghana’s young democracy then.
“When the framers of the 1992 Constitution were looking at issues of regulations, they were more concerned about the media as a public space, as a public sphere to nurture democracy. But we have soon learned that the media ecosystem is a cultural space, the media eco-system is a market space and it’s a techno sphere” Professor Amin Alhassan said.
“We need to review the current regulatory document to ensure that, Ghana has rules and regulations that meet modern trends” Professor Amin Alhassan said.
He tasked the national executives of the GJA, and other stakeholders in media to take a keen interest in this advocacy to ensure that the Media Policy and Regulatory System is reviewed.
The short but colourful ceremony was chaired by the Chancellor of Wisconsin University College Ghana, Rev. Dr. Paul Kofi Fynn, and was graced by notable individuals and institutional heads including the Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission, NMC, Mr. George Sarpong, Akuapemhene who was represented by Lawyer Addo Yobo, Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper and PanAfrica TV, Mr. Kwesi Pratt.
The rest are PRINPAG President, Mr. Edwin Arthur, and the President of GIBA, Mr. Cecil Sunkwa-Mills.
The three-day retreat of the GJA National Executives will afford them the opportunity to take stock of the Association by brainstorming on initiatives that would help turn the fortunes of the GJA around.
