Dr. Gilbert Tietaah, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, has emphasised the need for cooperation and continuous dialogue between media practitioners and security agencies to protect Ghana’s democracy.
Speaking at a media-security relations forum in Accra on Thursday, Dr. Tietaah called for professionalism, mutual trust, and respect between the two institutions to reduce confrontations and attacks often reported during high-pressure situations.
He noted that journalists and security agencies complement each other in executing their mandates: “The media must inform the public, investigate wrongdoing and create space for national debate.
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The security agencies must maintain law and order, protect citizens and manage threats to national harmony…without shared understanding and clear communication, situations can escalate, jeopardizing lives and rights.”
The forum, convened by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Private Newspaper and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and the Ghana Community Radio Network (GCRN), aimed to strengthen collaboration and enhance professionalism on both sides.
Dr. Tietaah described the forum as an opportunity to build a “stable and steady” framework for cooperation while stressing the importance of accountability when rights are violated:
“Security personnel should understand media rights and ethics. Journalists must appreciate the safety constraints and risks inherent in security operations…The constitutional rights of both journalists and citizens must remain central in security operations.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Grace Ansah-Akrofi Ansah, Director General, Public Affairs, highlighted the long-standing relationship between the Ghana Police Service and the media, emphasising the need for direct communication to resolve conflicts. “We are in the same enterprise together…
The better we relate with each other, the better we can carry out our responsibilities,” she said.
Mr. Suleman Brimah, Executive Director of MFWA, attributed Ghana’s decline in global press freedom ranking to violations including arbitrary arrests, physical attacks, and restrictive legislation.
He reaffirmed MFWA’s commitment to building mutual understanding and trust and announced that similar sessions would be held in Tamale and Kumasi, expecting practical solutions to emerge.
The dialogue is part of MFWA’s project on “Countering corruption through accountability journalism and improved freedom of expression environment in Ghana,” under the Participation, Accountability, Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) Programme.
The initiative is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, co-financed by the EU and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance.
