NMC mourns helicopter crash victims, urges media to show restraint

The National Media Commission (NMC) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of eight people, including two cabinet ministers, in Wednesday’s Ghana Air Force helicopter crash, while calling for restraint and sensitivity in media coverage of the tragedy.

In a statement on Thursday, the Commission mourned the loss of Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, NDC Vice Chairman and former Kumasi mayor, Dr Samuel Sarpong, and others on board the military aircraft.

“We recall, as we mourn, the healthy working relationship the Commission had with Dr Omane Boamah when he was the Minister of Communications,” the NMC noted.

The Commission urged both mainstream and social media platforms to adhere to ethical guidelines when covering the incident, highlighting Article 7(2) of its Print Media Guidelines which calls for compassion and sensitivity in cases involving bereavement.

It further reminded journalists of the Ghana Journalists Association’s Code of Ethics, specifically Article 16, which demands diplomacy and factual reporting in times of personal grief or distress.

The NMC strongly condemned the circulation of graphic images and videos related to the crash on social media, stating that such content “violates the sensibilities and dignity of the deceased and the bereaved families.”

The public was urged to stop sharing such materials out of respect for the victims and their loved ones.