MFWA’s Legal support fund will reduce nuisance suits against journalists – Sampson Anyenini
Celebrated journalist and private legal practitioner, Sampson Lardi Anyenini, has emphasized that the move by the Media Foundation for West Africa, MFWA, to set up a legal support fund for media practitioners will reduce nuisance suits against journalists.
According to him, some groups, individuals and organizations affected by the work of journalists resort to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation, SLAPP, just to gag journalists from doing legitimate work.
“You have done your work and done it well, but they simply want to shut the media from discussing the matter and so they take up such suits, try to get an injunction to stop you from continuing to deal with the subject,” he said.
He said this on Tuesday, September 22, at the opening session of a five-day workshop for 60 journalists selected from across the northern sector of Ghana.
The workshop, organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa, aims at deepening the understanding of journalists, editors and media managers on legal frameworks, media rights and redress mechanisms for safer journalism.
It was at the workshop that MFWA announced the launch of a Legal Fund to assist Ghanaian journalists facing legal challenges.
The fund, according to MFWA, is part of the Africa Media Integrity and Resilience Programme, AMIRP, led by the Media Foundation for West Africa and funded by the European Union.
It aims to reduce journalists’ legal vulnerabilities and strengthen media freedom by providing timely legal assistance and capacity building.
Speaking to OTEC News Reporter Kwame Agyenim Boateng at the sidelines of the event, Sampson Lardi Anyenini, who was one of the main facilitators, hailed MFWA and its partners for the initiative.
He called on journalists to do their work ethically, understand the constitutional framework for journalists and seek legal support when necessary.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/ Jacob Agyenim Boateng, Kumasi
