Journalists condemn Majority Leader’s attempt to dictate parliamentary reportage

A group of concerned journalists – Free Media Vanguard, has condemned attempts by the majority Leader in parliament, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, purportedly trying to dictate what the media reports in parliament.

They bemoaned that, in spite of all the attacks the media already faces in Ghana, it is troubling that the parliament will do same to inhibit free press.

“As journalists continue to wrap their heads around various unresolved instances of attack on Media freedom in Ghana, Parliament becomes the new venue for fresh attack.”

The group also expressed their concerns at the move by the Majority Leader in parliament to instruct the parliamentary press corp on what to prioritize in covering events at parliament, and consequently ignore the minority’s accompanying press conferences.

“The Free Media Vanguard finds it a distasteful move by the Majority in Ghana’s parliament to instruct that the parliamentary press Corp should prioritize covering proceedings on the floor of parliament over press conferences that will be organized by the minority in the same house.

“Free Media Vanguard is worried about this attempt to gag dissenting voices and move to dictate to journalists what they should feed their audiences from parliament,” the group asserted.

In a press statement released today, signed by its Convener, Prince Minkah, and copied to ghananewsonline.com.gh, the Free Media Vanguard argued that journalists must operate freely in an environment devoid of “dictatorship”.

They therefore urged all journalists, especially the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) to resist the attempt by the Majority Leader and his group in parliament to control the press and any from of “dictatorship”. 

Source: Jonas Danquah || ghananewsonline.com.gh