The Executive Director of The Press Foundation (TPF), Listowell Yesu Bukarson, has condemned attacks on a TV3 cameraman Stanley Nii Blewu by a soldier in the line of duty at the Tema Station in Accra.
According to reports available to TPF, the journalist was physically attacked many times by the unidentified military officer in the full glare of the public when he attempted to cover a clean-up exercise on location as part of a report he was filing, following the declaration of the Sanitation Minister that Accra was 85 per cent cleaner, three years ago.
Mr. Bukarson described the attacks on Nii Blewu as “barbaric and a sheer stab in the back of the enviable profession of the inky fraternity” and must be condemned by all and sundry who believe in press freedom.
“These attacks on journalists are tantamount to attacks on journalism and must therefore be condemned by all stakeholders in the media, including civil society groups in this country,” he charged.
He added: “Gradually and disappointingly so, attacks on the media in recent years have become way too many and must abate before it gets out of hands”.
Mr. Bukarson said even though Blewu’s account has not yet been verified, it is important that, as a point of respect, “at least the security apparatus would have made frantic efforts to calm the tension and to also assure the media of its unflinching support going forward into what purports to be a keen election which would require the absolute complementary support of stakeholders including the media and the security.”
“It is therefore important that the reports are independently investigated, culprit identified, and brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to take the laws into their hands in abusing the media,” Mr. Bukarson noted.
The TPF boss has expressed his sympathy with the TV3 journalist. “TPF stands with Media General in this fight against attacks on journalists,” Mr. Bukarson assured.
Source: Daily Mail GH
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