Kumasi, Dec. 13, GNA - Journalists have been advised to collectively and individually examine most of their past actions, in order to better understand the role the media wittingly or unwittingly played in the country's history. Mr. Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh, Editor of the Daily Graphic, who gave the advice said, such an initiative was the only move that could enable the media to spearhead the process of their own institutional re-invention, improve their capacity to champion the cause of human rights, and thereby prevent future Governments from using them to legitimise their actions.

Mr. Ayeboafoh gave the advice when he presented a paper on "Challenges of the Media in the promotion of human rights/democratic Governance-Reflections of the report of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC)", at a day's workshop organized by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Kumasi on Tuesday,for Media practitioners in the Ashanti Region. The workshop which was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the National Governance Programme was facilitated by the KAB Governance Consult. It sought to demonstrate to the media the effects of the NRC report and the accusations against the media by the report.

Mr. Ayeboafoh cautioned journalists against being used as Apostles and crusaders of military governments or illegitimate regimes. He said as facilitators of reconciliation and truth, there is the urgent need for them to recognize and acknowledge their role in promoting a culture of human rights, as well as their role in helping to nurture a culture for human dignity.

Mr. I.K. Gyasi, a retired Educationist, made it clear that the NRC report had nothing to do with politics and that it was incumbent on all Journalists to be abreast with the report to help them better understand the past, present and have a view of the future and how to work towards it. He expressed worry that in recent times, "Off record" which used to be respected, has now turned to be abused and undermined by some journalists thereby creating a whole lot of problems. Mr. Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the GJA, called on Journalists to strive at all cost to abide by the code of ethics because it is the ethics that makes Journalism a profession.