A reconstituted National Media Commission (NMC) has been sworn into office.
A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Noble Jerome Nkrumah, administered the oath of allegiance and the Official Oath to the 18-member commission at the Supreme Court in Accra yesterday.
The newly sworn-in members later elected Prof. Akua Biritwum as the chairperson of the commission who will serve for a three-year term.
She makes history by becoming the first ever female chairperson of NMC since it was established in 1993.
Prof. Biritwum is one of two representatives of the Office of the President on the NMC. The other representative is Richard Mawuli Quashigah.
Members
Other members of the commission are sports journalist and lawyer, Eva Okyere, who is representing the Ghana Bar Association; Ernest Owusu Addo – Publishers and Owners of Private Press; Anthony Obeng Afrane, representing the Ghana Association of Writers and the Ghana Library Association; Rev. Ruby Amable – the Christian Group, comprising the National Catholic Secretariat, the Christian Council and the Ghana Pentecostal Council, and Hajj Muhammad Amir Kpakpo Addo, representing the Federation of Muslim Councils and Ahmadiyya Mission.
Swearing in members of the National Media Commission. Picture: EDNA SALVO KOTEY
Others are Professor Isaac Abeku Blankson (training institutions of journalists and communicators); Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah (Ghana Advertising Association and the Institute of Public Relations of Ghana); Rev. Isaac Owusu (Ghana National Association of Teachers), and Kobby Asmah and Kofi Yeboah, both representing the Ghana Journalists Association.
The rest are Mahama Shaibu, Philip Fifi Buckman and Korkor Laurette Asante, all representing Parliament; Abena Annobea-Asare (National Council on Women & Development); Joseph Yao Hotor (Trades Union Congress (Ghana), and Cecil Sunkwa-Mills, representing the Association of Private Broadcasters.
Mandate
Justice Nkrumah urged the members to work to fulfil their mandate to protect the freedom and independence of the media, ensure diverse views, and combat disinformation.
The Justice of the Appeals Court also called on members to guide and instruct to ensure a vibrant media landscape.
“At the end of the day, when your tenure has come to an end, it will all be praises for the wonderful work you have done,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the NMC, George Sarpong, said the NMC had undergone significant transformation, marked by the largest female representation, with five women experts now on the commission.
He said of the new members, Mr Asmah was the only member who was part of the previous commission, but added that the new members were people with experience in the country’s governance structure and media landscape.
Mr Sarpong indicated that the commission had completed internal processes of transformation, which he said were focused on setting standards, developing monitoring systems and enforcing regulations.
He mentioned key achievements to include establishment of core standards, launching of a media app for real-time monitoring and journalist safety, and progressing broadcasting legislation.
The executive secretary explained that the media app, among others, tracked the safety of journalists, especially during coverage of elections.
Mr Sarpong said the government had also indicated its support to help transform the media industry.