Minister of Information Mustapha Hamid has said President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Affail Monney “committed no crime” when he issued a statement to caution investigative journalists to ensure they do not try people in the media in the course of doing their job.

Mr Monney in the statement urged journalists to verify all facts when they conducted any investigative piece, adding that such reportage must be “strictly guided by ethical values and, especially, the GJA Code of Ethics”.

“It is adherence to ethical principles which will serve as the shield to the investigative journalist and provide the canopy of credibility to his or her work,’’ the statement said.

The association also called for investigative stories to be “balanced’’ and that “all facts must be fully verified before they are thrown into the public domain”.

“We should be mindful of using the media to wage a smear campaign against individuals, especially local businesses and personalities who have made substantial contribution to the growth of the economy,’’ it added.

Although the statement applauded journalists for engaging in investigative works, part of the media’s constitutional obligation of holding people accountable, it called on the media to desist from pronouncing “certain people guilty in the media, while no court of competent jurisdiction has even tried them”.

“Such trial by the media can inflict serious reputational injury and cause devastating harm to their businesses that could ultimately have adverse effects on the Ghanaian economy. It can also ignite a backlash in the form of suits or legal wrangling from aggrieved persons,” it said.

Following the statement, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemned the GJA statement and urged the association not to undermine investigative and anti-corruption reporting.

A statement signed and issued by the Executive Director of the MFWA, Mr Sulemana Braimah, said it was surprised about the stance taken by the association.

“To the casual observer of developments in the media landscape in Ghana, the GJA's statement may pass as an ordinary, regular or normal advisory note from the leadership of the association to its members.

“But, as active and conscious observers of developments in the media landscape, the content, context, timing and vagueness of the GJA statement cannot but leave us wondering as to what could have prompted and/or motivated such a statement from the leadership of the association, given the palpable absence of context and the lack of reference to any specific recent or past instances that could warrant the unusual cautionary note from the GJA,” it said.

Speaking on the matter at the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on investigative journalism on free movement and migration of people, organised by Media Response, an NGO, Mr Hamid said: "In my view, I think Mr Monney has committed no crime in his statement", adding that: "They were very correct and very purposeful".

Mr Hamid told Mr Monney who was also present at the event that: "I don't think you should regret about the statement."