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World Press Freedom Day: Parliament unhappy over low renumeration for Journalists

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Members of Ghana’s Parliament are disturbed about low renumeration for Journalists in Ghana and pointed out that, this could tarnish the country’s democratic gains if nothing is done about it now.

The MPs’ who were contributing to a statement by MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and read by MP for Tamale South on the floor, Haruna Iddrisu called on the media owners to stop paying Journalists  scanty salaries in order for them to be more responsible towards their crucial works.

They have also encouraged the Journalists to be circumspect, factual and report only the fact in line with ethical Journalism.

The statement note that, “as we commemorate this day, we must take judicial notice of our decline in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index where we dropped from the rank of 23 to 27.

Sadly, we also lost our status as Africa’s best ranked country in the World Press Freedom Index compiled annually by Reporters Without Borders which evaluates the state of journalism in 180 countries”.

According Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa, this latest ranking released only a couple of weeks ago demands sober reflection; “we have come too far as a country to have any threshold of tolerance whatsoever for reports such as the police brutalities meted out to the three Ghanaian Times journalists (Raissa Sambou, a lactating mother, Malik Sulleman, a court reporter, Abdul Salifu Rahman, Assistant Editor), that of Latif Iddrisu of Joy News, and other incidents of assault like those against Victor Kawukume and Timothy Gobah all of the Daily Graphic”.

We must send a clear message to all that this nation will not countenance any abuse or attack whatsoever on journalists carrying out their legitimate duties, he noted.

He however, commended the media in Ghana for entrenching a new wave of activist journalism.

“A positive trend is emerging where journalists do not only tell the story and move on but take up the story as a cause and pursue it until there are clear and tangible results.

“In this regard, I congratulate the Media Coalition Against”.

Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah

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