It’s wrong for gov’ts to boycott media houses – NDC’s Fritz Baffour

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A Former Information Minister in the late John Atta Mills administration has faulted the boycott of media houses by governments.

Fritz Baffour, a journalist himself, says no matter how fractured the relationship between the administration and a media house is, it should never descend into a boycott of the media house.

Speaking to JoyNews’ Araba Koomson, Baffour stressed that he, as a politician has never supported the boycott of the media.

“During our time, there was a problem with The Multimedia Group and a decision was taken to boycott the Group which I disagreed with…and so I got the backing of President Mills and we were able to resolve it,” he noted.

Comparing the record of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party administration, the former GBC staff said media freedom has plummeted.

“We now have a journalist being killed and opinions being gagged…these are more horrendous than our days,” Baffour noted.

JoyNews’ campaign

Meanwhile, JoyNews continues its campaign for press freedom, demanding protection of the rights enshrined in the Constitution.

Since the ascension of the NPP to power in 2017, at least 11 journalists have been attacked with one fatality recorded.

These attacks come from state assigns like the police and private citizens alike.

JoyNews’ Latiff Iddrisu was brutalised by policemen at the CID headquarters where he went to report on the arrest of an opposition politician.

Since then there have been no indictments.

The worrying issue has made some persons call on President Akufo-Addo to crack the whip since he is a known voice on media freedom, leading Parliament to repeal the criminal libel law in the John Kufuor administration.

By: Myjoyonline.com