Accra: The National Media Commission (NMC) has urged media professionals and the public to show restraint and sensitivity in their coverage of the August 6 helicopter crash that resulted in the loss of eight lives. The Commission has expressed concern over the spread of graphic images and videos on social media, which it considers a breach of the deceased's dignity and distressing to grieving families.
According to Ghana News Agency, the NMC released a statement, signed by Mr. Alexander Bannerman, Deputy Executive Secretary, urging both mainstream and social media, alongside the general public, to exercise caution in disseminating information about this national tragedy. The statement highlighted Article 7.2 of the NMC's Print Media Guidelines on Grief, emphasizing that the press should show compassion in cases involving bereavement and handle publications with sensitivity.
The NMC's statement also referenced Articles 12 and 16 of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Code of Ethics. These articles guide media conduct during periods of personal grief, urging journalists to exercise facts and diplomacy when seeking information and publishing content. The Commission called on media outlets to adhere to professional standards and ethical codes to alleviate the suffering of the affected families.
Additionally, the Commission appealed to the public to cease the publication, posting, or sharing of such materials as a mark of respect for the deceased. The tragic helicopter crash involved a Z-9 military helicopter that went down at Sikaman in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region. Among the deceased were two cabinet ministers, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence, and Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, as well as other notable figures.
