Journalists must maintain their independence and resist becoming cheerleaders for governments, politicians and development partners in the name of promoting development, Journalist of the Year 2025, Moses Apiah, has said.
He said journalists have a responsibility to independently scrutinise development commitments, public expenditure and the performance of institutions entrusted with public resources.
Speaking on A1 Radio after winning the overall award at the 5th Upper East Regional Ghana Journalists Association Awards, Mr Apiah said development journalism must be grounded in evidence and the experiences of the people affected by public policies and interventions.
“For me, the role of journalists in promoting development in the Upper East Region is not about becoming cheerleaders for government, politicians or development partners,” he said.
According to him, journalists should use their independence and access to information to bring neglected issues into public discussion and ensure that the experiences of affected communities are not overshadowed by official accounts.
Mr Apiah said journalists should be prepared to question why some communities continue to struggle with access to basic services despite repeated development commitments.
He argued that official announcements should also not determine when journalists begin or end their scrutiny of development interventions.
Instead, he said, journalists should independently follow up on projects and programmes to establish whether they are functioning and producing the results promised to the public.
Mr Apiah said maintaining that independence was particularly important when reporting on institutions and individuals responsible for making decisions about public resources and development.
He maintained that journalists could contribute to development without abandoning their responsibility to question those in authority and hold institutions accountable for their commitments.
The 5th Upper East Regional GJA Awards were headlined by MyTurn Constructions Limited and Lesken Enterprise Limited, with Kacstones Records and Paga Youth Movement serving as main sponsors.
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