The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, has called on journalists to uphold integrity and resist taking bribes from politicians.
Speaking at the Adom Brands’ national dialogue on ‘Defending Media Freedom’ in Kumasi, Chairman Wontumi expressed concern about the increasing trend of politically biased reporting.
He stressed that, members of both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are very good friends, thus urged journalists not to tarnish one party’s image for financial gain.
“The NPP and NDC are friends; let no journalist be swayed by money to damage the reputation of the other,” he cautioned.
Chairman Wontumi also cited instances where he was falsely accused of doing illegal mining known in local parlance as galamsey – an allegation he described as false.
“For example, if someone accuses me (Chairman Wontumi) of illegal mining and journalists report the story without any proof due to political reasons, that’s unfair. I respect the media, but they shouldn’t try to be heroes by breaking news without proper evidence. Some people may try to harm the country for political gain, so journalists should do their job properly for the country’s benefit,” he said.
The NPP man therefore charged the media to verify information before publishing.
Chairman Wontumi also called on journalists to focus on professionalism, adding that unbiased reporting is crucial for the nation’s progress.
Play attached audio below:
Source: Adomonline
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