Minister-designate for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has called for increased support for the media in the country.
According to him, the Ghanaian media play a critical role in the country’s democratic dispensation and hence must be assisted to go about their activities in a free and independent manner.
Taking his turn before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Thursday, February 18, 2021, Mr. Nkrumah noted that the media plays a critical role in information dissemination in the country and they need to be given the needed push to function well.
He said: “as I have mentioned, while we uphold the freedom and independence of the media, we should also work to support the media so that they are able to live up to their responsibility.”
Oppong Nkrumah noted that some of the infractions in the media are not out of malice but because the very liberalized nature of the space allows untrained and less resourced persons to operate in the industry.
“That is why I argued that we should support them to do their work well without falling into the traps of the excesses,” he said.
The media has come under intense scrutiny, particularly after the 2020 general elections, for allegedly compromising on professionalism, objectivity and accuracy.
The Minister-designate for Information believes with training support and provision of some resources to the media, they will get better.
He acknowledged that while there are shortfalls in the work of the media, the role it has played in sustaining the country’s democracy is critical and must not be taken lightly.