Mahama visits GBC, Graphic Communications as part of media tour

President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday visited two state-owned media organizations during a media tour as part of efforts to enhance government-media relations.

The president, who addressed the assault on journalists on his first stop, described them as unacceptable and observed that they must be addressed through engagement and reorientation of security agencies.

President Mahama made the remarks on Thursday during a live appearance on the GTV Breakfast Show.

His comments followed an incident in which a journalist was attacked by personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service.

“I’m a journalist by training and so there’s no way we’ll countenance this,” the President said, stressing the need for mutual respect between journalists and security officers. “We need a reorientation of our security personnel to understand that just as they are doing their job of providing safety, journalists are also doing their job of informing people.”

President Mahama disclosed that steps had already been taken to deal with the matter, noting that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) had been engaged and linked up with the relevant security agencies. “We’ve been in touch with the GJA, we’ve put them in touch with the security services. We are working on it,” he said.

While acknowledging that such incidents occur from time to time, the President insisted they must not be ignored. “Occasionally these things happen but when it comes it must be dealt with,” he added, emphasizing the importance of accountability and cooperation.

As part of the tour, President Mahama visited the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), where he interacted with management and staff, discussing the role of state media in public education, national cohesion and democratic governance. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening public media institutions and safeguarding press freedom.

The President later proceeded to Graphic Communications Group Limited, where he engaged editors and workers of the newspaper house. During the visit, he was presented with a framed copy of a Graphic front page in recognition of his visit and longstanding relationship with the media.

President Mahama was accompanied by the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, along with other government officials. The entourage used the occasion to exchange views with media practitioners on professionalism, safety, and the evolving challenges within Ghana’s media landscape.

The media tour forms part of broader efforts by the presidency to directly engage journalists and media institutions, while reinforcing the message that a free and safe press remains central to Ghana’s democracy.