Desist from attacking journalists - GJA President

Mr. Ransford Tetteh, President of the Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA), on Wednesday condemned recent attacks on journalists from two media houses in Accra and urged aggrieved persons to always seek redress with the National Media Commission (NMC) or the Ethics and Disciplinary Council of the Association.

Mr. Tetteh said people would have different opinions on a subject matter but that did not mean that they should attack journalists.

He said the NMC and GJA ethics and disciplinary bodies were effective channels through which people could seek redress and appealed to the public to lodge their complaints with them.

Mr. Tetteh made these remarks when the United Bank for Africa (UBA) presented a cheque for GHc2,500 to the GJA towards the Association's 13th Excellence Awards Nite.

He said journalists had a role to play in holding public officials accountable and by projecting poverty and other pertinent issues facing the nation.

Mr Tetteh also entreated journalists to cross-check their facts before publishing them.

He expressed appreciation to the UBA for supporting the Awards, which he said, was being organised to reward practitioners for their outstanding works in 2007.

Mr. Charles Odonkor, Group Head, Retail and Commercial Banking, UBA Ghana Limited, lauded the immense role the media had played towards the nation's development.

He urged the media to remain committed to fair reportage, especially as the nation heads towards elections this year, adding that journalists should desist from inflaming passions and rather help to maintain peace and stability.