The National Media Commission (NMC) is set to launch a new app designed to enhance the safety of journalists during the upcoming elections.

Speaking at the Joy News National Dialogue on Defending Press Freedom, Executive Secretary of the Commission, George Sarpong, announced the deployment of an app specifically aimed at tracking safety issues related to journalists.

“Regarding the safety of journalists, particularly for this election, we are deploying an app and software that will track safety issues.

“It is time- and GPS-stamped, so access to police stations and hospitals will be readily available on this app for the media,” he revealed.

Mr Sarpong further explained that the app would provide immediate alerts in case of incidents, notifying the nearest police station to ensure a rapid response.

“If any incident happens, it will immediately alert the nearest police station, and the police will activate their response immediately,” he said.

Additionally, he noted that the app is integrated with local hospitals, ensuring that journalists can quickly access medical assistance if needed.

“It is also linked to local hospitals so that wherever the incident happened, you can readily access the nearest hospital,” he added.

The initiative, Mr Sarpong noted, comes as part of the NMC’s broader efforts to safeguard press freedom and ensure the safety of media personnel during the election period.