DIALOGUE, NOT VIGILANTISM: ON MEDIA/SECURITY ENFORCEMENT ENCOUNTERS

What happened to Carlos Atsu Lorlornyo Carlos of JoyNews and the interviewee on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in the Dr. Daniel McKorley warehouse site demolition event is condemnable.

Security enforcement is not synonymous to extremism or vigilantism. Article 164 of chapter 12 of the 1992 constitution provides that the freedoms and independence of the media regard and respect the interests of national security and public order.

As such, if issues around the site and its demolition are bound by interests of national security, it is just proper to use dialogue to prevent the interview between the journalist and the supposed witness. In very strategic PR approaches, you even take advantage of this dialogue to exercise a brief statement of caution and the reasons thereof.

Physical harassment is a no-no! It is unacceptable in President John Dramani Mahama’s democracy. The media is an extension of the rights to speech provided for every individual in Article 21 clause 1 of chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution and defensive dealings with the media must be exercised with strategy and caution.

Government leaders of the security and defence sector (Dr Omane Boamah) must re-examine this matter to erase bad impressions for Ghana’s media freedom at the global level. Under the tutelage of Counsel Tanko Musah on Media Law, I would learn that, at times, oppressive engagements against media persons or agencies are events that government leaders are unaware of.

It is usually facilitated by the fanaticism of some persons or supporters. What makes it worse, in my opinion, is when there is a deafening silence. I trust the narrative is never the same in 2025.

#dialogue
#guided
#ResettingGhana