National Security Coordinator COP Osman Abdul-Razak has called for a stronger partnership between Ghana’s security agencies and the media to combat crime, prevent conflicts and strengthen national security.
He said responsible journalism could play a critical role in exposing corruption, protecting public resources and preventing misinformation from escalating into wider security threats.
COP Osman Abdul-Razak made the call during a two-day residential capacity-building workshop for selected members of the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) at the Platinum Bay Hotel, Abokobi, Accra.
The workshop was held under the theme, “Media as a Strategic Partner in Preventive Security and Early Warning in Ghana.”
According to the National Security Coordinator, the media should be recognised as an important partner in Ghana’s preventive security architecture.
He argued that when journalists expose corruption, they can protect the public purse even before a prosecution takes place.
COP Osman Abdul-Razak said Ghana’s information environment had become an important component of the country’s national security perimeter, alongside its borders, territory and security installations.
He stressed that national security must therefore pay attention to responsible media reporting, particularly during periods of tension.
“A free and responsible press can be an instrument of security,” he said, adding that truthful reporting could help calm tensions and prevent misinformation from triggering conflict.
He attributed part of Ghana’s democratic resilience in a region that has experienced several military takeovers to the responsible role played by the media at critical moments.
COP Osman Abdul-Razak clarified that the workshop was not intended to provide journalists with lectures from the National Security Coordinator, but to create an opportunity for the media and security institutions to learn from one another.
He urged PRINPAG members to develop practical proposals for strengthening cooperation between the two sectors while protecting press freedom and responsible journalism.
Participants were taken through Ghana’s national security architecture, emerging and asymmetric security threats, communal conflicts and conflict sensitivity.
Other areas covered included the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026 (Act 1168), media and national security, strategic communication, ethics, national interest and press freedom.
