Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, president of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has asked for the modification of Section 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960, Act 29, as well as a few other articles of the Electronic Communications Act (Act 775) and other laws.
The GJA president claims that a number of journalists have received harsh punishments for relatively minor offenses due to Section 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960, Act 29, which states that "a person who publishes a report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace knowing or having reason to believe that the statement, rumor, or report is false commits a misdemeanor."
Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, president of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has asked for the modification of Section 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960, Act 29, as well as a few other articles of the Electronic Communications Act (Act 775) and other laws.
The GJA president claims that a number of journalists have received harsh punishments for relatively minor offenses due to Section 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960, Act 29, which states that "a person who publishes a report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace knowing or having reason to believe that the statement, rumor, or report is false commits a misdemeanor."
According to him, the legislation's haphazard implementation merely serves to terrorize the general public.
At the Ghana International Press Centre, he spoke on this topic as part of the World Press Freedom Day festivities with the subject "Freedom of Expression: A Driver for All Other Human Rights for Ghana's Development."
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the minister of information, asked the media to focus on the government's attempts to restore citizens' economic rights in a speech read on his behalf. He did this in order to enlighten and empower citizens in the wake of current global issues.
"Programmes by state and non-state actors should get more focus in order to help the Ghanaian people recover more quickly from the current economic difficulties." "We also urge the media to devote greater space to stories that enable people to fully use their economic rights," he continued.
Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, the event's chair, urged the media to uphold national tranquility as election season draws near.
The tension leading up to the elections in 2024 is already rising. The peace of our beloved country must be preserved, and using incendiary rhetoric is one of the surest methods to do it. The media should do a good job of acting as a gatekeeper so that morality will take precedence in how those seeking the support of the electorate behave themselves.
Charles Abani, the UN Resident Coordinator, also urged the media to support freedom of expression since it is essential to the survival of democratic governments.
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