Pollo Esposito, the acting Leader of the Media in the Western North Region Speech.
I am honored to stand before you today to launch legend report.com a groundbreaking online platform by Emmanuel Sowah.
I commend Emmanuel Sowah for his initiative, vision, and dedication to quality journalism. Having personally followed him over the last few months, I have no doubt that this platform (legendreport.com) will enhance our region’s media landscape.
As journalists, we must strive for excellence, integrity, and impact. Therefore, legendreport.com shall embody these values in the name of our ethics and in the name of God, and I have no doubt it will become a trusted source for news and information.
Let’s join forces to promote quality journalism and support legendreport.com in its mission to inform, educate, and entertain its audience.
We are not oblivious that many media outlets are aligned with political parties or influenced by political interests, this undermines our objectivity and fosters a perception of bias, but please and please again, Sowah, don’t let this political polarisation affect your reportage.
Also, the rush to break news can result in half-baked stories and a lack of fact-checking, which has been eroding public trust in journalism. To all my colleagues don’t let this be our portion. Sensationalism and lack of fact-checking are destroying our profession.
Journalists in Ghana face numerous challenges that impact our work and safety. Some of the typical hurdles include:
- Threats and Violence: Journalists are frequently subjected to physical attacks, intimidation, and threats, particularly when investigating corruption or human rights abuses. For instance, in 2019, our colleague Ahmed Suale, an investigative journalist, met his fate by being shot after exposing corruption within the GFA.
- Lack of Press Freedom: Ghana’s press freedom ranking has been declining due to increasing threats and harassment against journalists. The government has been criticised for not doing enough to protect journalists and ensure their safety.
- Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists: There’s a growing culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, with perpetrators often going unpunished. This lack of accountability emboldens attackers and creates a chilling effect on journalism.
- Economic Pressures: Journalists face economic challenges, including low wages and job insecurity, which can lead to compromised journalistic integrity. Media owners’ political affiliations can also influence coverage and lead to censorship.
- Limited Support Mechanisms: Journalists in Ghana often lack access to adequate support mechanisms, including trauma counselling services, safety equipment, and medical and legal support.
- Judicial Challenges: Ghana’s judicial system has been criticised for being susceptible to political influence, which can impact journalists’ ability to seek justice. The case of Anas Aremeyaw Anas vs. Kennedy Agyapong highlights these challenges.
These challenges highlight the need for stronger protections and support mechanisms to ensure journalists’ safety and promote press freedom in Ghana. I therefore plead with the leadership of this, our young region, WN, to support us in any way they can, but not otherwise.
To Emmanuel Sowah and his team, I wish you continued success and growth. May legendreport.com thrive and make a lasting impact on our region’s media scene.
Thank you, and let’s celebrate the beginning of a milestone legendreport.com is yet to achieve!”
