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The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has cautioned media practitioners against engaging in unprofessional conduct in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
The GJA President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, emphasised that the association will not defend or protect any media practitioner involved in activities that incite violence or undermine the electoral process.
The warning comes in conjunction with the launch of the GJA/US Embassy Ghana Election 2024 project, titled: “Journalists for Peaceful Discourse.”
Mr Dwumfour highlighted the GJA’s commitment to ensuring responsible journalism and stressed the need for media practitioners to avoid reporting in a manner that could potentially incite violence or undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
During the launch, the GJA President referenced a monitoring report by the association, which revealed the use of media to incite violence during the 2020 elections.
He urged media professionals to prioritize responsible journalism, emphasising that freedom of expression goes hand in hand with the responsibility to ensure that reporting does not contribute to violence or electoral malpractice.
“Freedom of expression does not only mean allowing people to speak but also ensuring responsibility,” the GJA President said.
The findings of the GJA/MNC media monitoring during the December 7 elections in 2020 indicated that incitement on media platforms ranked high among types of violence perpetuated during the election.
He also reiterated the importance of professionalism in media practices, emphasising that the GJA does not and will not condone unprofessional conduct.
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