By Ewurabena Paha
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) says despite the magnitude of the challenges the Police Administration encounters in its bid to share information with the public and the media, it is equally important to support the free flow of information to promote public discourse.
A statement signed by the GJA President, Albert Dwumfour called on the Police Administration to reconsider its stance on the Police Service’ latest decision on information sharing, ”since information is the oxygen for democratic dispensation whereas the media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm thrives on information”.
The GJA Statement follows the IGP’s directive to centralized information sharing.
According to the GJA, ”depriving the media information in real time is a matter of serious concern to the Association”.
The statement said although the Police Administration may have germane reasons for the directive to have a centralized information sharing system, the GJA believes that the system is counter-productive and only creates room for speculation, misinformation and disinformation.
”Starving the media of information in a decentralized system using centralization tactics is impeding the work of the media as far as information dissemination is concerned. Though the Police Administration may have germane reasons for the directive to have a centralized system, the GJA believes that the system is counter-productive and only creates room for speculation and misinformation and disinformation”.
It is important to emphasize that the GJA’s quest to get this system reversed follows incessant calls from the rank and file of the media fraternity whose daily activities hinge on information.
Full statement below:
