By Joseph Agrace Wiyorbie
Wa (UW/R), Nov. 06, GNA – Mr Seidu Iddrisu, a former Upper West Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has urged journalists and media practitioners to promote fairness, accuracy and public trust through balanced reporting.
He said balanced reporting was critical to national development as it enabled the public to make informed decisions based on facts, rather than one-sided narratives.
Mr Iddrisu, who served seven years as Regional Manager and 30 years as a professional journalist, said this in an interview with the GNA in Wa, on the sideline of the 2nd Upper West Regional GJA Awards.
He opined: “Today’s media, particularly the broadcast media, are not balanced in their reportage. Sometimes when a journalist is speaking on radio or television on political issues, you could know the party he or she belongs to,” he added.
Mr Iddrisu said such practices degraded the profession and made the public lose trust in the media and stressed the need for the practitioners to constantly uphold the professional standards of the profession in their reportage.
He also called on the practitioners to be credible and to show integrity and objectivity in their reportage for the public to constantly have trust in the media.
Mr Iddrisu was honoured during the Awards with a citation in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the media landscape in the Upper West Region.
The citation said he served with dedication, integrity and professionalism, mentoring scores of journalists and upholding the highest standards of the profession in the region.
It further said his service helped shape the region’s news coverage and strengthened the foundation of credible journalism in the Upper West Region.
Talking about the awards, Mr Iddrisu said the initiative demonstrated that journalistic excellence must be recognised and celebrated not only at the national level but also within the regions.
He noted that ethical journalism was vital and must go beyond reporting events and transmitting information but to give visibility to aspirations and development priorities of communities, particularly those whose voices are often underrepresented.
Mr Iddrisu said the region had enormous development potential and urged the media in the region to play a critical role in spotlighting those potentials, challenges and success stories.
He particularly encouraged journalists and media practitioners in the region to intensify reporting on education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, sanitation, youth development, tourism and other critical sectors.
He urged them to tell the stories that mattered, expose challenges that required urgent attention and spotlight initiatives that were transforming lives in the region.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Joseph Agrace Wiyorbie, GNA
Email address: [email protected]