No Charter, No Job: Speaker Bagbin Moves to Lock Out Uncertified Journalists From Public Sector
No Charter, No Job: Speaker Bagbin Moves to Lock Out Uncertified Journalists From Public Sector
The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has announced plans to support a groundbreaking Private Member’s Bill aimed at introducing a mandatory professional certification and chartering framework for journalists targeting employment within Ghana’s public sector.
The policy shift is being introduced as a critical mechanism to combat a growing lack of compliance with ethical codes and professional guidelines within the media industry.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the executive leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Speaker Bagbin underscored that the absence of a formalized charter has allowed ethical lapses, sensationalism, and unprofessional conduct to compromise the integrity of the practice.
“At the end of the day, we need to have a charter where ethics and other things matter. Before you are certified, you must go through that,” Speaker Bagbin stated.
Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament.
He noted that under the proposed legislative framework, public sector recruitment for media and communications roles will be explicitly tied to this certification, ensuring that only practitioners who meet rigorous professional benchmarks and adhere strictly to established ethical codes are hired.
The initiative draws structural parallels from established regulatory bodies such as the Institute of Directors and chartered public relations institutions, which use formal legal backing to enforce standards among their practitioners.
The GJA, led by President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, welcomed the collaboration. Stakeholders within the media space have increasingly raised alarms over accountability lapses, particularly with the explosion of new media platforms where unverified reporting and ethical failures frequently bypass traditional editorial gatekeeping.
While emphasizing that the legislation will not be used to stifle press freedom or muzzle independent voices, Speaker Bagbin reiterated that holding public sector communication jobs requires verifiable accountability.
By linking public sector employment directly to an ethical charter, the legislature hopes to establish a robust framework that restores prestige, discipline, and uncompromising professionalism to Ghanaian journalism.
Mr. Dwumfuor, for his part, says the legislation is also aimed at improving the living conditions of journalists
