Reconstituted National Media Commission sworn in
An 18-member reconstituted National Media Commission (NMC) was yesterday sworn in with a charge to ensure that ethical standards in the media landscape are adhered to.
They were also charged to ensure that the issue of misinformation and disinformation within the media landscape was addressed, while ensuring the protection and freedom of the media.
The members, sworn into office by an Appeals Court Judge, Justice Jerome Noble Nkrumah, are Ms Eva Okyere Addo (Ghana Bar Association), Mr Anthony Obeng Afrane (Ghana Association of Writers and the Ghana Library Association), Reverend Mrs Ruby Amable (National Catholic Secretariat, Christian Council and the Ghana Pentecostal Council), Hajj Muhammad Amir Kpakpo Addo (The Federation of Muslim Councils and Ahmadiyya Mission), and Professor Isaac Abeku Blankson (The training institutions of journalists and communicators).
Others are Reverend Isaac Owusu (Ghana National Association of Teachers), Mr Kobby Asmah and Mr Kofi Yeboah (Ghana Journalists Association), Mrs Abena Annobea-Asare (National Council on Women and Development), Mr Joseph Yao Hator (Trade Union Congress), and Mr Cecil Sunkwa-Mills (Association of Private Broadcasters).
The rest are Mr Mahama Shaibu (Member of Parliament for Daboya Mankarigu Constituency), Mr Phillip Fiifi Buckman (MP for Kwesimintsim Constituency), Mrs Korkor Laurette Asante (MP for Atiwa West Constituency), and Mr Richard Mawuli Quashigah and Professor Akua Biri Twum, both appointees of President Mahama.
The members swore the oath of office and allegiance.
Addressing the reconstituted commission, Justice Nkrumah said although successive members of the NMC did put in measures to regulate the media, issues such as misinformation and disinformation, as well as adherence to ethical standards within the media space remained a challenge.
However, Justice Nkrumah said that a better understanding of the “working of the state” by the new members of the NMC would help address the issues and ensure that the media space was well-regulated.
“Broadly, we often have reference made to the executive, legislature, and the judiciary. We are supposed to be independent and we are independent but there are a level of cooperation between these arms. A certain measure of understanding of how these arms operate will put you in good step in your working on the board of the NMC,” Justice Nkrumah said.
“So often, you will come across news items that clearly lacks some vital information. I believe that you are not teachers but you can guide and instruct, and by so doing, we will all be beneficiaries of a vibrant media landscape,” he added.
For his part, the Executive Secretary of the NMC, Mr George Sarpong, said the larger number of women representation of the members, the retaining of only one member of the previous members, and the expertise of the members in relation to the governance system of the country made them unique.
Furthermore, Mr Sarpong said that he was optimistic that the new members would effectively lead internal transformation projects that the NMC had completed.
Some of the key transformation projects, he mentioned, were the competition of the core standard regulatory framework to regulate the media space, development of monitoring systems to monitor the media space, and the completion of the work towards broadcasting legislation.
Going forward, Mr Sarpong said the NMC would focus on the safety of journalists and the issue of misinformation on online media platforms, especially social media, as witnessed in the Sahel.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
