Information Minister-Designate, Fatima Abubakar, paid a courtesy call on MX24 TV as part of ongoing stakeholder engagements within the media sector.
During her visit, on Wednesday May 8, the Minister Designate commended the management and staff of the media organization for their dedication to professionalism and for utilizing their platforms to engage stakeholders in the national discourse, as well as ensuring gender parity in all departments.
In an interaction with the management and staff at MX24 TV, Madam Abubakar emphasized the Government’s commitment to ensuring a conducive environment for free, responsible media, while also supporting the enhancement of journalists’ work through capacity-building initiatives.
She advocated for greater collaboration between the media and all other stakeholders, including the government, to deepen the country’s democracy.
She reiterated Ghana’s significant improvement from 62nd out of 180 countries to 50th in the Global World Press Freedom rankings. She attributed the performance to the Ghana Office of the Safety of Journalists and the Media Capacity Enhancement Programme, which have contributed immensely to the quality of journalism in Ghana.
The Minister Designate touched on the Ministry’s campaign to combat Mis/Disinformation. She said it is a priority of the ministry to ensure that consumers of digital content are not misinformed or disinformed. She also added that with the 2024 general elections in sight, it is a priority of the ministry to ensure maximum regulation in the media space to prevent politicians from taking advantage to perpetuate falsehoods.
Fatimatu Abubakar announced that the 3rd Cohort of the Media Capacity Enhancement Programme will commence soon and urged media owners to allow their personnel to participate in the training.
According to her, though registration is closed, the management of the station can still come on board for either participation or coverage.
The management of MX24, in turn, pledged their support for the operations of the ministry through on-air and online promotions and coverage.
