Minister for Information appeals for media support on Broadcasting Bill
Minister for Information Madam Fatimatu Abubakar has urged the media to vigorously advocate for the passage of the Broadcasting Bill once it is submitted to Parliament.
She announced that the final draft of the Bill has been completed with minor comments, and a final engagement is planned before submitting it to the Cabinet for consideration and subsequent submission to Parliament.
During a working visit to ZED Multimedia, Madam Abubakar emphasized the importance of media support in pushing stakeholders, including Parliament, to pass the Bill into law.
Her visit aimed to better understand the operations of media houses in Ghana and to discuss issues such as press freedom and the challenges journalists face.
Madam Abubakar highlighted the various interventions introduced by the government during her predecessor Kojo Oppong Nkrumah’s tenure to support journalists.
She assured continued government commitment to creating a safe and enabling environment for the media.
One such initiative is the Coordinated Mechanism on the Safety of Journalists, overseen by the National Media Commission (NMC).
This office serves as the official channel for filing complaints about attacks on journalists, validating alleged attacks, following up on investigations and sanctions, and reporting on journalist safety.
The Minister noted that many journalists do not report attacks, which contributes to Ghana’s low score on press freedom, with the country scoring below 50%.
Madam Abubakar encouraged media houses to apply for funding from the International Fund for Public Interest Media to alleviate financial pressures.
The fund, which recently increased from $50 million to $55 million after a call during the 3rd Africa Media Convention in Accra, aims to support media operations.
Addressing concerns about professionalism and ethics in the media industry, she mentioned that over 140 journalists have been trained through capacity-building programs.
These programmes, developed by experts and financed by the Ministry of Information, aim to enhance journalistic standards without influencing the beneficiaries.
Diplomatic missions have also partnered with the initiative to further build media capacity.
Madam Abubakar pointed out that these interventions are contributing to improvements in press freedom rankings, particularly in the safety of journalists category.
During her visit, the Acting General Manager of ZED Multimedia Esenam Patricia explained the company’s focus on Leisure, Lifestyle, and Business (LLB) and assured the minister of their support in disseminating information about government activities to the public.
