Security Brutality: GLOMEF calls for Media Blackout, Probe into Assault on Class Media Journalist

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Security Brutality: GLOMEF calls for Media Blackout, Probe into Assault on Class Media Journalist

The Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) has called on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) to impose a one-year total media blackout on any security agency or political party whose agents assault journalists in the line of duty.
According to GLOMEF, such a collective action would demonstrate solidarity with victims, deter future abuses and reinforce professional respect for the media in Ghana’s democratic space.
The call follows the assault on Mr. Samuel Addo, a journalist of Class Media Group by officers of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), an incident GLOMEF has described as unacceptable, unprofessional and wholly inconsistent with the mandate of any state security institution sworn to protect lives, property and the rule of law.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, GLOMEF said violence against journalists performing their lawful duties is an affront to press freedom and a direct threat to Ghana’s democratic credentials.
“Journalists are public-interest workers whose safety must be guaranteed at all times. Any attempt to intimidate, manhandle, or brutalize media practitioners undermines transparency, accountability, and citizens’ right to information as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution,” the statement stressed.
GLOMEF noted that the alleged conduct of the GNFS officers violates professional standards, internal service regulations, and Ghana’s obligations under international human rights instruments that protect freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
The media rights organisation commended President John Dramani Mahama for promptly condemning the incident and calling for an independent investigation, and urged the Presidency and relevant oversight bodies to ensure a transparent, time-bound inquiry that results in accountability, corrective action and institutional reforms to prevent a recurrence.
However, GLOMEF expressed concern that the attack is not an isolated incident, pointing to a worrying pattern of assaults on journalists in recent years. These include attacks on reporters covering election-related disturbances at Ayawaso West Wuogon, the brutalization of journalists during security operations and demolitions in Accra and Kumasi, and assaults on broadcast journalists covering protests and public demonstrations, where equipment was destroyed and reporters beaten by security personnel.
The organisation also cited attacks on community and regional journalists during enforcement exercises, where media practitioners were allegedly detained, threatened, or assaulted for filming or interviewing affected persons.
“These cases reflect a troubling pattern of impunity that must be decisively addressed,” GLOMEF warned.
Beyond the proposed media blackout, GLOMEF further called for mandatory human rights and media-relations training for all security agencies, the establishment of clear operational protocols guaranteeing unfettered access and safety for accredited journalists, swift disciplinary measures with public reporting on sanctions applied, and compensation and medical support for affected journalists.
GLOMEF reaffirmed its commitment to defending press freedom, protecting journalists, and strengthening democratic accountability in Ghana, stressing that violence against the press must end without exception.