A private legal practitioner, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has advised the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) to review its code of ethics to include social media practices.
[contextly_sidebar id=”sWd8D3sBvOr16xFHQDL6jMaPYpY11P47″]According to him, the absence of such principles have crippled the GJA from issuing disciplinary measures against persons and media houses who publish unethical content on their social media pages.
“The difficulty facing the GJA in matters of this nature is that they ought to review the GJA code of ethics in view of the blossoming social media business in the country and globally to take care of practices in that part of the divide of the media practice,” said Mr Dafeamekpor.
He made the recommendation while sharing his views on the circulation of nude pictures of a YFM presenter, Ms Ada whose story of a purported abduction and sexual assault turned out to be false.
The nude pictures of Ms Ada went viral on social media while some media houses published it on both their websites and social media pages.
Circulation of the nude pictures on social media has been condemned.
Aside Ada’s nude pictures, several leaked nude materials continue to find their way on social media.
Speaking on Citi Fm’s News analysis programme, The Big Issue, Lawyer Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor urged the GJA to review its code to enable them be abreast with the time adding that “If the GJA code of ethics as it still exist is in respect to the traditional media practices then you will be found wanting because there is big business in the social media as it is now and they are driving the market and the traditional media are trying to play a catch up.”
Nude pictures on social media
The lawyer also explained that such nude content end up on social media because there is no law regulating them.
“…now Ada is trending means, what is invoked in social media, what are they discussing? It is about Ada’s affair. Your listeners will leave you if you are not discussing Ada. Social media is electronic and so if they cannot get it from you; they will go where they can get it.”
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana