We’re working with police to address attack on UTV – NMC

The National Media Commission (NMC) says it is working with the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to address the attack on UTV.

On Saturday night while the station’s prime time entertainment show, ‘United Showbiz’ was ongoing, a group of thugs allegedly members of the ruling NPP stormed the studios of UTV, disrupted the live program, and proceeded to threaten to assault the host and her guests.

It later allegedly emerged that the thugs were led by the Klottey Korle Youth Organizer of the NPP, under the orders of Ernest Owusu Bempah, a Deputy Director of Communications and other leading figures of the ruling party.

The Commission in a statement issued on Sunday said it was “concerned about the increasing use of violence as the preferred method for addressing grievances against the media and journalists. Perpetrators of such crimes must realize that violence does not produce better journalism.

“This is why the Constitution provides anyone who feels aggrieved by the work of the media the opportunity to seek redress through the complaint settlement mechanism of the NMC.”

“As we approach the electioneering process for Ghana 2024, the NMC underscored that it was important for political actors and all Ghanaians to learn that the Ghana we envisage would not be built on the path of violent attacks on journalists.

“In the next couple of weeks, the NMC will be rolling out a comprehensive program to reactivate with our key stakeholders the Coordinated Mechanism for the Safety of Journalists to ensure the media continue to operate without fear.

“In the meantime, we assure the public of our cooperation with the Ghana Police Service to get to the bottom of this matter,” it said.