The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has said it was important for journalists to deepen their knowledge on human rights issues to enable them protect and defend cases relating to abuse of human rights.
Mr. Samuel Bosompem, Legal Officer of CHRAJ, said this during a sensitization workshop organized by the Commission in Bolgatanga on how to report properly on human Rights Issues.
He said for journalists to report on issues on human rights and make impact it was incumbent upon them to study human rights issues properly for the general public to appreciate their reportage.
He said journalists, by their profession, were human rights defenders and that the work of the media in advancing human rights was very crucial.
Mr Bosompem said the Commission alone could not single-handedly tackle all issues on human rights and appealed to the media to collaborate with it to promote the rights and dignity of the people.
Mr. Bosompem said the Commission received about 12,000 complaints on human rights annually and that if the media reported more on those issues it would lessen the load on the Commission and appealed to the media, especially the electronic medium, to devote some space for education on human rights.
Mr. Ato Amoaning Annan, the Associate Dean of the African University College of Communication, urged the media to go beyond the basic ethics of
reporting by being investigative and ascertaining the validity of facts about events and issues.
He said reporting on issues would therefore ensure that many Ghanaians were better informed about their rights and the rights of others.
"It can also help raise Ghana's reputation around the world as a strong and healthy democracy.
The Regional Director of CHRAJ, Mr. Kenneth Adabayeri, appealed to the media to expose issues bordering on human rights abuses in the region
especially lynching of people suspected to be witches and wizards and other negative cultural practices that were against the fundamental human rights of the individual.
He appealed to the media not to hesitate to call on the Commission in the Region whenever there was the need to get information or clarification on any issue.