World Press Freedom Day 2024: PRINPAG calls for the Protection of Journalists

Below is the full press statement:

STATEMENT BY THE PRIVATE NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (PRINPAG)

As the world marks this year’s World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2024, under the international theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis,” we at PRINPAG would like to extend our warm gratitude to all media practitioners in Ghana, especially our hardworking news publishers. We recognize and appreciate the crucial role journalists play in our democratic society and socio economic development and growth.

In the context of the global environmental crisis, disinformation, misinformation and propaganda campaigns challenge knowledge and scientific research methods, misleading information about climate change can undermine efforts to address environmental issues.

On this occasion, let us recognize and celebrate the work of journalists who courageously report on the state of our planet. Their stories – sometimes disturbing but always necessary – expose the crisis and pave the way for action. Through their perseverance, we gain insights into what is happening across the globe, shaping a better future for all.

Protecting journalists and their sources from censorship, intimidation, and violence can never be over emphasized. Indeed, challenges to press freedom are enormous and multi-faceted, affecting both “free” and open societies as well as autocracies. As media owners and journalists in Ghana continue to work tirelessly, often on the frontlines, we must collectively defend their rights and uphold the principles of media freedom.

As we mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day today, PRINPAG would like to make a case for the Sustainability and Support of the Media.

We would like to urge the government’s media handlers to make time to engage media owners, editors, and senior journalists, so that together, we can find ways of saving the Ghanaian media from decline, and ensure its sustainability.

There should be deliberate mechanisms put in place to support all media outlets, so as to foster partnership for the development of our nation Ghana.

PRINPAG would also like to call for an inclusive approach that brings all media houses onto a common platform, regardless of perceived political persuasion. This we believe will ensure that information is readily accessible to all, to give true meaning to the “promotion of press freedom and pluralism”.

As we celebrate the essence of this day let us stand united, leveraging journalism for a sustainable environment and a brighter future.

PRINPAG stands committed to championing media freedom, defending journalists’ rights, and ensuring a thriving media landscape in Ghana.

Jeorge Wilson Kingson
Ag. Executive Secretary
0244822034

Andrew Edwin Arthur
President