David Tamakloe, President of the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), has stated unequivocally that “the madness we witness on social media is NOT journalism”.
According to him, journalism is a noble profession that has shaped humanity for centuries. It has exposed tyranny, championed the oppressed, and chronicled the triumphs of the human spirit, he added.
“We must not throw this profession under the bus simply because we have grown intolerant of divergent views or, worse, because we are unwilling to finance its growth”, told publishers, media managers, editors and senior journalists of the association.
As the great American philosopher George Santayana warned, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If we abandon journalism, we abandon memory itself, Mr Tamakloe warned.
He made this statement at a workshop organised by the association in collaboration with the National Security Council Secretariat under the theme “Media as a Strategic Partner in National Security”.
The workshop was intended to enhance the capacity of private newspapers and online news publishers to report accurately, responsibly, and professionally on contemporary security issues.
It also formed part of efforts to strengthen the media’s role as a strategic partner in promoting public awareness, national cohesion, democratic governance, and public safety.
The War of Confusion
Mr Tamakloe used the occasion to speak plainly about the war of confusion that surrounds the print media and the world at large.
In his own words: “The media has been left alone, abandoned, really, to fight for its place in the long history of human development and democracy.
In our desperation to cower, control, or simply sideline the media, we have created a monster and set it loose upon ourselves. That monster is the so-called “new media.” We are being fed a dangerous lie that this chaotic digital space will take over, that the traditional press is a dying relic.
Let us not be deluded! There is no alternative to the traditional media. The media is only one; it has always been one, and it will always remain one, the President of PRINPAG stated.
Challenge of Regulation and Resourcing
“We are often told that democracy is expensive. Yet, paradoxically, we have cut media budgets and failed to provide the regulations that protect the sanctity of our industry. With the evolution of time, we can legislate to protect the media not to stifle freedom of speech, but to insulate truth from the cacophony of falsehood”.
As Justice Louis Brandeis famously declared, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Let us shine that sunlight through a well-resourced, well-regulated, and fiercely independent press, Mr Tamakloe said.
“This is why media associations like PRINPAG must be supported. We cannot sharpen our swords on stones that do not exist. The private media must be oiled, empowered, and equipped to thrive.
But resources alone are not enough. As journalists and media practitioners, we must use our integrity to defend the journalism profession. We must uphold standards, value our culture and our shared humanity, and always prioritise our nation’s interest above narrow agendas”.
Remember the old African proverb: “A clear conscience is a soft pillow.” Let our integrity be our pillow as we sleep at night, he urged the PRINPAG members at the opening of the three-day workshop held recently at Abokobi in the Ga East Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region.
Call to Action
Let us also remember the timeless wisdom: “The pen is mightier than the sword.” But a pen without ink is useless. Let us provide the ink through funding, through regulation, and through partnership.
To all our members who could not be here today, we encourage you to continue upholding the principles of accuracy, responsibility, professionalism, and conflict-sensitive journalism in your coverage of security-related matters in the country, he advised.
Help Us Keep the Peace
Delivering the keynote address at the workshop, Ghana’s National Security Coordinator, Commissioner of Police (COP) Osman Abdul Razak also urged the media to help the security agencies to continue to maintain peace, stability and social cohesion in the country.
To this, he assured the editors, publishers and senior journalists that his outfit was to establish a standard channel of dialogue between the security services and newsrooms to enhance security reporting in the country.
Periodic Training
COP Abdul Razak announced that periodic training workshops would be organised in collaboration with PRINPAG for journalists and editors on how to report on key national security issues.
Field trips would be organised for the participating journalists to visit warring countries to enable them to appreciate the essence of peace and stability being enjoyed in Ghana.
The Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, assured that although the print media is bleeding across worldwide, the Ghanaian government won’t allow it to collapse in the country.
Reading his speech on his behalf, the Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Shamima Muslim, said: “Print is record”.Print is what we cite in court, in Hansard, in history books. If print loses relevance, we lose our national memory, Mr Kwakye Ofosu cautioned.
