This year’s World Press Freedom Day was commemorated on 3 May 2024. It was on the theme: ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis’. This no doubt confirms the importance of the role of journalist in the global war to stop the destruction of the environment. The other roles of journalist in the building of a better society however remain the same.
In Africa, the media are considered indispensable in the processes of development and democracy. Democracy is stifled in countries where the press and journalists have no limited or no freedom. Conversely, where journalist enjoying the freedom of thriving democracies some journalists take this freedom for granted, forgetting that media freedom comes with a responsibility and accountability. They tend to forget that sight every word they publish in electronic and print media is potential trigger for good or evil, national unity or conflict and acrimony. Such journalists, in the view of Ambassador Rasheed Inusah, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Intelligence and Security Analysis (CISA), are a threat to their country’s security.
At a seminar organized by the Center to sensitize Ghanaian journalists on the potential threat the work of some journalists could pose to the security of the country and especially in an election year Ambassador Inusah called for accuracy, diligence, fairness and professional balance in their reporting on this year’s election.
In his view, irresponsible reporting which focuses on exaggerating security threats, crises or incidents could incite panic, disrupt public order, and undermine trust in government institutions.
Ambassador Inusah is no stranger to the world of media, electoral politics and media-fueled conflict and his word on a matter of security, media and politics is taken seriously: The Chief Executive Officer of CISA is a lawyer, international intelligence and security expert and a former diplomat with a distinguished career spanning almost four decades in Ghana’s diplomatic and public service.
As a diplomat, he served in the former Soviet Union, United Kingdom, the United States of America, Cuba, Kenya and Australia. He also served as the Director General of the Research Department, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and later as Ambassador-At-Large, in 2017. From his experience and research, “sensationalized coverage of sensitive issues may amplify fear among the populace, leading to social unrest or irrational behaviour that could jeopardize public safety”.
The former Director General of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) of Ghana, went on to stress that “dissemination of misinformation, fake news, or conspiracy theories disseminated by the media through traditional and social media platforms could easily sow confusion, hinder security response efforts, and compromise public safety.” Also, he pointed out: “False information regarding security incidents, government actions, or public health emergencies can undermine trust in official channels, hinder effective communication, and impede crisis management efforts”.
Compromising operational security through “media leaks of classified or sensitive information can compromise national security operations, intelligence gathering, and ongoing investigations”, the former head of Ghana’s secret service told the journalists.
He warned that unauthorized disclosure of government secrets, military strategies, or law enforcement tactics by the media, can undermine counterterrorism efforts, endanger national interests, and compromise the safety of security personnel.
Journalists and the media can undermine diplomatic relations when they sensationalize reports of diplomatic incidents or international disputes leading to an escalation of tensions between countries, undermine diplomatic efforts at dispute resolution, and strain bilateral or multilateral relations, Ambassador Inusah said.
“Biased or inaccurate reporting on foreign policy decisions, international engagements, or regional conflicts can fuel hostility, hinder diplomatic negotiations, and erode trust between nations. Irresponsible media coverage that promotes hate speech, incites violence, or glorifies extremist ideologies can pose a direct threat to national security, he added.
Inusah said Media platforms that serve as propaganda tools for extremist groups or criminal organizations may radicalize individuals, recruit followers, and inspire acts of terrorism or insurgency”.
Why Some Journalists Become a Security Threat
The former head of Ghana’s National Investigations Bureau identified the following as the reasons journalists go wayward and become a national security threat:
1. Poor Remuneration
In Ambassador Inusah’s opinion, “poorly paid journalists easily become pawns in the hands of anyone willing to take care of their financial needs. They thus, become easily pliable. This makes them susceptible to corrupt politicians, business people, civil servants, armed robbers and drug dealers, who take advantage of the financial hardships poorly paid journalists face to influence the journalists and conceal their illicit activities, which often are to the detriment of the national interest.
For instance, a poorly paid journalist is more likely to be co-opted by illegal mining (galamsey) kingpins, drug lords, land guards, terrorists or vigilantes to do their bidding by, for instance, killing stories that may otherwise have exposed their nefarious activities”.
“The issue of the poor remuneration of journalists in the country and its implications for the exercise of media professionalism, is a threat to Ghana’s security and political stability. A journalist who is willing to do anything to satisfy his basic needs is as dangerous as any armed terrorist. It is, therefore, important for media houses to pay their journalists well to reduce the temptation of financial inducement.”
2. Investigative Journalists Who Monetize and Commercialize ‘the Truth’
Ambassador Inusah identified the commercialization of monopolized information as another source of potential dishonesty and recklessness on the part of some journalists.
He said investigative journalists play a very positive and important role in exposing the rot in society and holding governments, leaders, and people in positions of trust to account. “However, they are susceptible to monetizing and commercializing their findings for financial gains. They may abuse the trust reposed in them by society, for selfish gains because of the virtual monopoly they hold over what is supposed to be ‘the truth.’
The CEO of CISA cites the case of someone who describes himself or herself as an investigative journalist and proceeds to make unfounded, scurrilous, and unsubstantiated claims on media platforms about very sensitive national issues, some of which may border on national security, even though such self-described investigative journalists may have no iota of evidence to back their claims. However, because they may have styled themselves as investigative journalists, they are likely to claim they have the evidence and would bring it to public knowledge at their pleasure.
Such claims usually present an avenue for blackmailing and holding powerful politicians, business people, celebrities, prominent members of society, traditional leaders, and even security officials to ransom”, he explained.
By styling themselves as investigative journalists, Inusah said, such elements could even fabricate evidence to extort money from personalities they may have targeted. Such journalists could also become henchmen for people with deep pockets whose interests may be at variance with those of the state. Such “investigative journalists could hold state actors to ransom by blackmailing them with whatever information they may have gathered about them through subterfuge”, Inusah warned.
3. Journalists Who Are Too Attached to Political Parties
Ambassador Inusah spoke about journalists and the potential effects of their political affiliations on their work and said, “any journalist who is overly and unnecessarily attached to a political party poses a great threat to state stability and security in that they see and hear no evil’ about their preferred political party and would defend even wrongful acts and actions by the party.
In sharp contrast, the same journalists would hide or suppress vital information about that party even if such information is in the public interest. Such journalists are also most likely to concoct stories about the opponents of their preferred party to the detriment of national security and the stability of the state”.
4. Journalists Who Are Too Attached to Their Religion or Ethnic Group
Inusah noted that “journalists who have a die-hard attachment to their religion or ethnic group are a national security threat because they are more likely to be narrow-minded and emotional about national issues which relate to their ethnic group or religion. Such journalists can easily stoke inter-religious and inter-tribal tensions. A good example is what happened in Rwanda, which sparked the 1994 genocide”.
5. Fake/Untrained/Unsupervised Freelance Journalists
In addition to the above, the head of CISA said there were individuals who style themselves as journalists even though they have had no professional training whatsoever. They operate solo without any supervision from any professional or recognized media entity and thus pose a serious threat to Ghana’s political stability and national security. Such journalists, who are now able to easily and freely publish or broadcast anything and everything on social media without scrutiny, are a ticking time bombs as anyone can hide behind fake social media accounts to disseminate false information.
6. Lack of Periodic, Refresher Training for Journalists
Another major reason why journalists become a threat to national security is lack of continues training to update the knowledge and skills of journalists, Ambassador Inusah said. He was emphatic that, “continues media training helps journalists keep developing and improving their writing, reporting, interviewing skills and storytelling abilities”. He also said training reminds and makes journalists more aware of their responsibilities, professionalism ethics, code of conduct and the dangers their words, actions or inactions wield.
7. Inadequate Inter-Agency Coordination
Ambassador Inusah proposed that the independence of the media notwithstanding, information that borders on national security, critical government activities and policies and certain controversial issues that have the potential of jeopardizing the peace and stability of the state, must go through a validation process before publication.
Press Freedom vs the National Interest
Ambassador Inusah said freedom of the press is acknowledged throughout the word as a fundamental mark of democratic societies. “ Journalists are guaranteed the right to research, report, and disseminate information without censorship or undue interference from government officials. This freedom is critical for holding people in authority accountable, increasing openness, and encouraging public discourse”. The retired diplomat however argued that “press freedom must be balanced with the need to protect national security objectives, which include ensuring citizens’ safety and well-being, defending territorial integrity, and maintaining public order”.
He said national security concerns may develop in cases involving “sensitive material, such as classified government documents, active military operations, or intelligence gathering activities. In such circumstances, the release of specific information by the press may jeopardize national security and risk lives”.
Government oversight and press freedom
The intelligence and security expert acknowledged that there is a persisting “conflict between press freedom and national security”, which is “frequently exacerbated by government attempts to control or limit media coverage in the name of national security. Governments may use laws, regulations, or emergency measures to restrict the dissemination of material deemed harmful to national security, raising worries about censorship, press freedom abuses, and government overreach”. “The balance between press freedom and national security requires an approach that considers the interests of both the media and security authorities. Transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law are fundamental concepts. Maintaining professional standards, observing legal boundaries, and engaging in discourse and proper coordination are all necessary for creating a suitable climate for both”, Ambassador Inusah said in conclusion.
