He said that professional journalism must be based on factual and accurate reportage and which must be clearly distinct and differentiated from citizen journalism. He said that the practise of hiding behind anonymity on social media to peddle falsehood was detrimental to society, adding that government was committed to supporting measures that deepen free expression in our democracy. He prayed that journalists would be instruments of love, joy and peace in the nation.

He again expressed government’s condolences to the family of the late investigative journalist of the Tiger Eye group, Ahmed Suale and said that violence against journalists anywhere in the world must not be tolerated.  He said that government was also putting in place a national co-ordinating mechanism on the safety of journalists.

In a welcome address, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Dr Affail Monney lauded the “character erection and the moral perfection of the reporter who refused to accept a bribe to squelch” a damaging story and has urged “National Security to move with urgent promptitude to provide all the protection” that the journalist would need. He said that “any repetition of the assassination of Ahmed Suale in the most tragic circumstances will inflict a national harm of incalculable proportions.”

He noted with concern Ghana’s fall from the top of the African media league table to the third position and the 27^th position in the world attributing it to impunity among others.

He said that the World Press Freedom Day provided an opportunity “to synergise our efforts and sharpen our weapons to deal surgically with the calcifying cancer of impunity which occasion the attacks and threats against jounalists with scandalous frequency.”

Dr Monney indicated that the GJA welcomed whole-heartedly government’s planned intervention of safety mechanisms for journalists. He said that the GJA also embraced government’s capacity building initiative for journalists as the capacity of journalists is fundamental to their ability to perform satisfactorily. He said that the GJA, supported by MTN, would also complement these initiatives with ethical training programmes “to cure the cancerous spread of ethical bankruptcy and professional mediocrity in sections of the media. He said that despite the decline in rankings, Ghana was still a reference point and standard measure of media freedom.

The Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy, Mr Roberto Quiroz renewed his country’s commitment to the promotion and protection of a free press which, he said, is an essential pillar of democracy.

He noted that by fostering a free press, citizens are more informed, active and engaged in political decision-making and can better hold their governments accountable.  He said that the doors of the US embassy are always opened to journalists who seek explanations to the positive results of the bilateral partnership programmes between the US and Ghana to promote good governance, democracy, economic growth and development in many sectors.

Mr Quiroz condemned the assault on journalists and the killing of Ahmed Suale and said that these cases were an attack on Ghana’s press freedom, democratic credibility and the climate of transparency. He said that these must be reversed to ensure that Ghana’s reputation for media freedom are maintained.

The UNESCO, which was represented by Abdourahamane Diallo, said that it would work with the government, the Ghana Journalist Association, the National Media Commission and civil society organisations to put in place national monitoring mechanisms for the safety of journalists.

There were solidarity messages from the Editors’ Forum, the Private Newspapers Association of Ghana, Assocation of Women in the Media and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association

The event was chaired by the Chairman of the National Media Commission, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh and had as its theme: “Media for Democracy, Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”.