Kojo Oppong Nkrumah endorses GJA's media blacklist strategy
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has expressed his support for the Ghana Journalist Association's (GJA) approach of using media blacklisting as a tool against individuals who attack journalists.
Read full articleThe GJA recently blacklisted two Members of Parliament, Hawa Koomson and Farouk Aliu Mahama, for assaulting journalists in the line of duty.
In an interview on 'Face to Face' on Citi TV, Oppong Nkrumah endorsed the decision by the GJA and stated, "100%, I support the use of a blacklist as a legitimate tool to bring attention to the cause of journalists and the facts that some persons may have proven to have attacked journalists."
He acknowledged that while blacklisting may not be 100% effective due to diverse media ownership and editorial interests, it serves as a form of protest to draw attention to the issue. Oppong Nkrumah stated that the Ministry is committed to ensuring that individuals who attack journalists are punished, urging journalists to report such incidents to the police.
Addressing concerns raised by the Chairman of the National Media Commission, Yaw Ayeboafo, who described the sanctions as "dysfunctional," Oppong Nkrumah stressed the importance of clear criteria for blacklisting.
He stated, "It is also very important for the GJA to lay down clear criteria for when this blacklist is used. It ought not to be used because it’s alleged that Kojo has done so. It ought to be used when a certain threshold has been met."
The Minister of Information underscored the need for evidence and proper reporting to the police, emphasising the role of law enforcement and the judiciary in addressing attacks on journalists.
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