Government has dismissed suspicions that it is attempting to manipulate journalists by the creation of a media fund. Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor announced an amount of one million Ghana cedis as seed money for the fund during his fourth Budget statement presented to Parliament on Wednesday. The fund is expected to equip journalists with modern trends in reporting and to build their capacities. The fund, however good intentioned it is, has drawn mixed reactions from media personnel and political party activists. Whilst some applaud the government for its initiative others are suspicious the government would use the fund as a bait to woo journalists to do its bidding, especially as the country enters into an election year. Executive Director of the Danquah Institute Gabby Asare Otchere is not convinced government’s action is entirely altruistic. “We need to see the details of it because I don’t trust government to be giving things to the media,” he told Joy News’ Sammy Darko. He said the constitutionally mandated institution - National Media Commission should have oversight responsibility over that fund, saying anything short of that would be a subtle attempt to influence journalists. But a deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah told Joy News’ Israel Laryea government has no intention to manipulate the media. He said an independent Board of Trustees would be appointed in consultation with the Ghana Journalists Association and the Media Commission to manage the fund. “Journalists, who require assistance from the Board of Trustees, in terms of wanting to benefit from this fund would apply, be it for scholarship, for further studies, for specialization,” he said. He said the landscape is getting sophisticated, especially with the oil find and there is need for more specialization and excellent reportage in crime and other key areas. Okudzeto Ablakwa reiterated President Mills’ commitment to “build capacities of journalists. Once we do that we strengthen our democracy; we enlighten the people better and we can really rally the nation more purposefully.” “This is not a fund to buy journalists as my good friend Asare Otchere Darko is trying to suggest,” he concluded.