The Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Divine Selase Agbeti, has called for stronger collaboration between the media and Ghana’s security institutions to safeguard national security while protecting press freedom and the public’s right to information.
He said national security was not the exclusive responsibility of security agencies but a shared national duty, with the media playing a critical role as a “strategic partner”.
Mr Agbeti made the call on Sunday, August 30, 2026, when he delivered the keynote closing remarks at a two-day training workshop for members of the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) at the Platinum Bay Hotel in Abokobi.
The workshop was held on the theme: “Media as a Strategic Partner in National Security in Preventive Security and Early Warning in Ghana.”
Present were the National Security Coordinator, Osman Abdul-Razak; Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Shamima Muslim; PRINPAG President, David Tamakloe; PRINPAG Executive Secretary, Jeorge Wilson Kingson; George Loh and Baaku Mohammed, both of the National Security Secretariat; Theophilous Botchway of the CSA; and Zakaria Tanko Musah, a lecturer at UniMAC, among others.
Participants examined Ghana’s national security architecture, emerging and asymmetric threats, communal conflicts, strategic communication, the legal framework governing security and intelligence, cybercrime, information warfare, ethics, press freedom and the national interest.
Mr Agbeti said the issues were interconnected and collectively defined the environment in which the Ghanaian media operated.
He stressed that the media’s role as a strategic partner did not require journalists to surrender their independence, suppress legitimate criticism or become an extension of government.
“On the contrary, a professional, independent and courageous press strengthens national security by exposing wrongdoing, countering falsehoods, informing the public and holding institutions accountable,” he said.
However, he cautioned that press freedom came with responsibility, particularly in an increasingly volatile information environment where inaccurate reports could have serious consequences for national stability.
He said a misleading headline could spread across the country within minutes, while an unverified video could trigger fear, inflame communal tensions or undermine public confidence.
Similarly, he warned that reports revealing sensitive operational details could compromise investigations and put lives or critical systems at risk.
“Conversely, one carefully verified report can stop misinformation, protect the public and help institutions respond effectively. The difference often lies in the professional judgment exercised before publication,” he said.
The CSA Director-General said the digital environment had intensified the responsibilities of journalists and newsrooms, as cybercriminals and hostile actors increasingly exploited urgency, fear and public trust.
He said such actors used impersonation, compromised accounts, manipulated images, synthetic audio, and coordinated disinformation to deceive citizens and distort public debate.
“Journalists and newsrooms are both targets and potential force multipliers. When a journalist’s account is compromised, the attacker gains access not only to data but also to credibility and an audience,” he said.
He therefore urged news organizations to make cybersecurity an integral part of their editorial culture.
He recommended that newsrooms adopt basic safeguards, including strong, unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, prompt software updates, secure backups, verification of links and attachments, clear access controls, and incident response plans.
Sources and sensitive materials, he added, must also be protected, while journalists and other newsroom staff should know where and how to report cyber incidents.
“These are no longer purely technical matters; they are questions of professional integrity and institutional survival,” he stressed.
Mr Agbeti proposed five practical commitments for PRINPAG members arising from the workshop.
The first, he said, was for journalists to verify before amplifying, stressing that while speed mattered in journalism, accuracy mattered more.
He urged journalists to independently verify reports on security incidents, communal conflicts, and public emergencies, including geolocating material where possible and cross-checking information against credible official and community sources.
Secondly, he urged the media to protect operations and people by avoiding the disclosure of tactical positions, identities of protected persons, sensitive investigative details or information that could assist criminals and hostile actors.
His third recommendation was for news organizations to build cyber-resilient newsrooms.
He encouraged PRINPAG members to designate cybersecurity focal persons, train staff regularly, protect official accounts, and establish simple procedures for escalation, recovery, and public correction.
The fourth commitment was to correct misinformation visibly and quickly.
Mr Agbeti said corrections should receive sufficient prominence to reach the same audiences exposed to the original error.
“Responsible journalism is demonstrated not by never making a mistake, but by responding transparently when one occurs,” he said.
His fifth recommendation was to strengthen structured engagement between the media and security institutions.
He said the CSA would work with PRINPAG to promote regular briefings, awareness sessions, incident-reporting guidance and practical exchanges between journalists and relevant security institutions.
“Trust is built before a crisis, not during one,” he said.
Mr Agbeti also encouraged PRINPAG to translate the workshop’s lessons into a concise newsroom protocol for national security and cyber incident reporting.
Such a protocol, he said, should preserve editorial independence while establishing standards for verification, protection of sensitive information, source security, corrections, and liaison with appropriate authorities.
“The true value of this workshop will be measured by what changes in our newsrooms after today,” he said.
He also called for greater openness and timely communication from security institutions, arguing that the media could not report responsibly when credible information was unnecessarily delayed or communication was inconsistent.
“Public institutions must communicate promptly, accurately and respectfully,” he said.
He cautioned that classification should not be used as “a convenient shield against accountability”, adding that where information could not be released, the reasons should be explained to the extent permitted by law and operational realities.
Mr Agbeti said Ghana’s security would increasingly depend on the country’s ability to protect both its physical and information spaces.
He said the media had an indispensable role in helping citizens distinguish fact from manipulation, legitimate scrutiny from reckless speculation, and the public interest from harmful exposure.
He called for a renewed partnership in which security institutions engaged the media with openness and respect, while journalists exercised their freedom with professionalism and responsibility.
“Together, we will protect the public’s right to know without undermining the public’s right to be safe,” he said.
Mr Agbeti commended the PRINPAG leadership for organizing the workshop and thanked the National Security Coordinator, the Minister responsible for Government Communications, facilitators and other resource persons for their contributions.
He reaffirmed the CSA’s readiness to collaborate with PRINPAG and the broader media community to build safer newsrooms, more informed citizens and a secure and resilient digital Ghana.
He said that although the workshop had ended, the partnership it had strengthened must now move into its most important phase: implementation.
