News

Assemblyman appeals to media to guard against peddling falsehood

• By EDMOND GYEBI
• March 15, 2019
• 44

Mr Richard Kwadwo Adu, the Assemblyman  of Ntoase Electoral Area in the Wenchi Municipality of the Bono Region has appealed to the media to double check their facts before going to press.
      
 He reminded the Ghana Journalists Association  (GJA) of its responsibility to promote responsible journalism and asked leadership of the Association to be more proactive and check the media against peddling falsehood and embellishing stories. 
  
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, Mr Adu who is the former Wenchi constituency youth organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) said media as a fourth arm of government remained a powerful tool to either make or unable a nation, hence the need for media outles and individual journalists to be circumspect in their reportage. 
    
He was reacting to reports on alleged sacking of Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and two others, carried by some traditional media outlets and gone viral on the social media. 
   
Reports run rife run rife last Tuesday that Mr Nti, Mr Isaac Crentsil, Commissioner for customs and Mr Kwasi Asante German, in-charge of Domestic Tax have been sacked from their positions.
 
But, the GRA in a statement issued and signed by Kwasi Bobie-Ansah, Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Public Affairs Department dismissed the said publications. 
  
Mr Adu regretted that some media organizations and practitioners had taken advantage of the press freedom and were peddling lies and falsehood, saying society would lose confidence and trust in the media if the GJA failed and allowed the media to spread falsehood, bias and unsubstantiated stories. 
  
He said the GJA had no other option than to render unqualified apology to Mr Nti and the two others because the story in one way or the other would affect them and their families. 
   
'The GJA must also endeavour and work hard to flush out quack and mushroom Journalists who have gradually taken over the media fraternity and denting the image of the noble media profession', he said.

Source: GNA