By Rebecca Ampah
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Shamima Muslim has urged Ghana’s media fraternity to match press freedom with professionalism and restraint, warning that misinformation and sensationalism pose real risks to national cohesion.
Speaking at a 3rd Ghana Journalists Association dinner night on behalf of the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye-Ofosu, she delivered warm greetings from President John Dramani Mahama and commended the Ghana Journalists Association for convening stakeholders whose work she described as central to protecting and deepening democracy.
In a lighthearted opening, Muslim acknowledged the convivial spirit of the evening, echoing the President’s encouragement to journalists to “drink and make merry” in recognition of the demanding nature of their work. She said the celebration was well deserved, even as she pivoted to a sober message on the responsibilities that accompany media freedom.
According to her, President Mahama’s position on press freedom is unequivocal: a free, independent and courageous media is democracy’s strongest ally, not a threat. However, she stressed that freedom must always “travel together” with ethics, professionalism and responsibility to the Ghanaian people.
She cautioned that the digital age has amplified the dangers of fake news, misinformation and deliberate disinformation, which can inflame tensions, erode trust in institutions and undermine national unity.
Government alone, she said, cannot defeat the challenge. Instead, she called for collaboration among journalists, editors, media owners, digital content creators and other stakeholders to verify facts, provide context and resist sensationalism in favour of truth and the public interest.
Shamima Muslim argued that Ghana’s narrative, told at home and abroad, shapes investor confidence, social cohesion and national pride. She therefore urged the media to pursue balanced, accurate and constructive storytelling that reflects both challenges and progress, ultimately strengthening democracy rather than weakening it.
Turning to developments , she noted that the Constitution Review Committee had presented its recommendations to President Mahama.
As the report enters the public domain, she urged newsrooms to approach coverage “with care, with accuracy and depth,” avoiding misrepresentation, speculation or selective interpretation that could mislead the public or heighten unnecessary tensions. The national conversation that follows, she said, must be informed, sober and responsible.
As the Christmas season approaches, Muslim conveyed the President’s goodwill to media professionals, wishing them a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. She relayed his appeal for journalists to take their health seriously, rest when possible and stay safe, acknowledging how demanding their work is and how essential their wellbeing is to their families and the nation.
She closed by inviting the media to “hold hands” with the President in the new year to build a Ghana that expands opportunities for young people, provides dignified incomes, and creates safe spaces for livelihoods to thrive.
On behalf of government, Shamima Muslim thanked journalists for educating, informing and entertaining the public while shaping critical national conversations, and prayed for continued blessings on Ghana’s media, democracy and the country.
