Journalists Urged to Stop Flirtations with the Government
Senior Journalist at Abusua FM, Mr. Kojo Marfo has urged journalists to remain unbiased and avoid ‘flirtations’ with the government.
He emphasised that the media’s role as the fourth estate is to hold the government accountable, not to praise it.
“As the fourth estate, it is our duty to put government on its toes and not to praise it,” he said.
Speaking in an interview with Agudey, the Host of Nkwantannanso, Mr. Marfo expressed concern about the partisan politics engaged in by some journalists who fail to report on certain happenings due to their political affiliations.
He stressed that journalists should remain objective and report the truth, regardless of their political leanings.
The senior journalist also highlighted the impact of the economy on the media industry.
He noted that, “When the economy suffers, media houses also suffer as businesses will not advertise, leading to a reduction in revenue”.
Mr. Marfo’s comments serve as a reminder to journalists of their role in society as watchdogs and the importance of remaining impartial in their reporting.
As the fourth estate, the media plays a vital role in ensuring accountability and transparency in government.
Senior journalist Lovin Cee of Silver FM also voiced his concern over the poor working conditions of journalists in Ghana, blaming governments for the situation.
According to him, governments since 1992 are responsible for the plight of journalists in the country.
He stressed the importance of journalists’ welfare and suggested the implementation of a specific minimum wage for them to prevent them from being compromised.
“The welfare of journalists is important. There should be a specific minimum wage for journalists,” he said.
Cee called on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and National Media Commission (NMC) to take measures to address the issue. He emphasised the need for the GJA and NMC to ensure that the minimum wage for journalists is enforced to improve their working conditions.
