PROTECTING PRESS FREEDOM FOR DEMOCRACY, A KEY FACTOR

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) joins the world to commemorate this year’s International Day of Democracy observed annually on the 15^th of September. The Day is significant to the NCCE because of its mandate to create awareness of the need for citizens to uphold and sustain Ghana’s constitutional democracy. The NCCE welcomes the global observation as it adds up to create public awareness of the importance of the Day.

The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Protecting Press Freedom for Democracy”. The Commission believes the theme is appropriate and timely, especially at a time when there have been reports of attacks on media personnel in the line of duty and subsequent calls on governments to protect media professionals.

The NCCE also believes that as a nation we must protect the media from abuse and intimidation. The media should be empowered to hold duty bearers accountable and play their watchdog role efficiently and efficiently. Article 162 (1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana secures media freedom and states that the “Freedom and independence of the media are hereby guaranteed”. This provision in the 1992 Constitution must be realised by promoting free media with ethical values.

However, it is imperative that the media we seek protection for must also be guided by their professional ethics in the line of work. Your right to media freedom and protection must produce responsible and ethical journalism. The Commission is a firm believer that the media has an enviable power to influence mindsets hence the need to empower media professionals to play active roles in nation-building, promote civics in the media space and educate citizens to hold their leaders accountable.

The NCCE in time past undertook several advocacies in the areas of research and public outreaches. These advocacies were to enlighten the public on the role of the media in enhancing Ghana’s democracy. Prominent among the advocacies was a research report titled “Assessing the Effectiveness of the Media in Ghana’s Democracy”.

As we observe International Democracy Day, the NCCE urges the media, citizens and all relevant stakeholders to join forces to work to sustain Ghana’s democracy for posterity.

Long Live Constitutional Democracy!

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana and Make Our Nation Great and Strong!!

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