The newly appointed Press Attaché at the United States (U.S.) Embassy in Accra, Mr Kevin J. Brosnahan, yesterday paid a courtesy call on Mr David Agbenu, the Editor of the Ghanaian Times,the flagship newspaper of the New Times Corporation (NTC).
Mr Brosnahan who assumed office in August 2021, was accompanied by Mrs Joyce Owusu of the Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy.
Mr Brosnahan and Mr Agbenu discussed press freedom in Ghana, training opportunities for journalists in Ghana and abroad and operations of the Ghanaian Times.
Mr Brosnahanexplained that the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section was responsible for spreading the good news about U.S. and its projects and policies to their partners.
He stressed the need to strengthen the bond of friendship between the Embassy and the Ghanaian Times and assured that his outfit would continue to support capacity building of journalists in Ghana.
Mr Brosnahan told Mr Agbenu who is an aspiring President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA)that journalism was going through a challenging period across the world.
Touching on media freedom, he said the rights and safety of journalists was paramount in building a prosperous, democratic society.
He said that the Embassy had exchange programmes for journalists, some virtual and others in-person where selected journalists may spend a week or two in the U.S.
For his part, Mr Agbenu told Mr Brosnahan that the Ghanaian Times was a state-owned print media established by Ghana’s first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah to promote the then government’s developmental agenda.
He said that upon Dr Nkrumah’s overthrow on February 24, 1966, the New Times Corporation was taken over by government, adding that since then, the paper supported every government by publishing stories on activities undertaken by the government.
Turning his attention to media freedom, Mr Agbenu noted that the level of freedom was deteriorating because of the emergence and conduct of unprofessional journalists.
While calling for the rights and safety of journalists to be guaranteed and protected at all times, he said lack of adherence to ethics of the profession in addition toimpunity exhibited by some members of the public was giving rise to attacks on journalists.
Mr Agbenu underscored the need for public education, training of journalists as well as prosecution and punishment of persons who attack journalists to ensure press freedom.
Present at the meeting was Mr Mathew Ayoo, the News Editor, who called on journalists to be decorous, reminding them that there were legal ramifications for misreporting and false publication.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA