The Most Promising Young Investigative Journalist of the 2022 edition of the Next Generation Investigative Journalism Fellowship (NGIJ) organized by Media Foundation For West Africa (MFWA), Philip Teye Agbove has entreated the state to implement policies that aim at protecting journalists in Ghana.
Expressing his gratitude to MFWA at a graduation ceremony held on Tuesday, 20th December 2022 at Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, Accra, he said, the state must fast-track its policies towards ensuring the safety of investigative journalists in Ghana.
According to him, journalism is part of society therefore the state must take responsibility for creating an enabling environment for all journalists in Ghana for critical journalism to ensure national development.
He said: “The state must not sit down and watch people threaten journalists since it’s an affront to critical journalism. Journalists must be protected, especially those who strive to make society a better habitat for people”.
He bemoaned the death threat to investigative journalists at the hands of some authorities and the reluctance of the state to mete out justice to people who assault journalists in their duties citing the case of Ahmed Hussein-Suale as an instant.
He also charged young journalists to eschew fear and intimidation from any angle that will distract them from making society a better place.
“Salvaging the image of your profession and the society must remain your ultimate aim therefore do not fall prey to any intimidation that will distort your work”
This year’s programme gathered seven females and six male young journalists selected from Liberia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone who were hosted in Ghana for five months of intensive training aimed at conducting critical, high-quality, and a fact-based reporting.
Philip Teye Agbove won the 2021 National Outstanding Student Journalist of the year, and he also received recognition from International Justice Mission for fighting human trafficking in Ghana.
Philip Teye Agbove writes for the State-owned newspaper, The Ghana News Agency (GNA), is a correspondent for UK-based SheHub.tv, and practices broadcasting with Radion Ada based in Ada.
