Bolgatanga, June 4, GNA - Mr Baba Jamal, a Deputy Minister of Information, on Friday appealed to media practitioners to partner Government towards national development.

He said: "As media practitioners, you should not allow yourselves to be used by political parties to tear the country apart, the nation's interest should be paramount and we all have a duty to work towards maintaining peace in the country".

Mr Jamal gave the advice when he interacted with media practitioners in the Upper East Region at Bolgatanga.

He regretted instances where some journalists allowed themselves to be used by certain political parties to promote their ideologies at the expense of development of the nation.

Mr Jamal entreated such journalists to desist from the negative practices for the sake of the nation's development.

He called on journalists to report on issues objectively, fairly and devoid of over-sensationalism.

Mr Jamal said he was in the Region to forge strong partnership between the media and Government.

He said that the Ministry of Information was designing a national porter to gather information on Districts in the country to market them internationally to attract investors.

Mr Jamal challenged journalists report on the Region's potentials to help attract more investors to the area to help reduce poverty. He also asked the media to report on projects that have been executed by Government and not to relegate that duty the Ministry alone.

Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, commended the media for presenting a good reportage about the Region but entreated the practitioners "to report on the news behind the news by delving into rural reportage.

He said: 94As a media practitioner, if you continue to put your credibility at risk, you will in no time be doomed forever as nobody would want to involve you in what they do."

Mr Woyongo called on journalists to report on the more than 160 Government projects being executed in the Region.

He pledged to provide a bus for the media in the Region when the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalist Association mentioned transportation as one of the major challenges facing the Media.

Some of the media personnel expressed concern about low salaries.