By Sagito Musah Issakah

Happy press freedom day to all media men and women all over the world, Africa and Ghana in particular. Working as a journalist in an uncertain world is no joke. The job is also not an easy one especially when one has to go through a lot of difficulties to send out information for the consumption of the public. Ghana has come a long way as far as the consideration of the media as the fourth estate of the realm; media plurality and more importantly the acceptance of the fact that the media should have a free hand to operate are concerned. Ghanaians who have seen a lot of hammattans remember the days when Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) monopolised the electronic media industry and private electronic media was virtuality non existent. We also remember the days, since independence to some few years back, when the media was controlled and limitations, sometime through a legislative instrument, placed on the operations of the media.

Fortunately for us those days of monopoly and of unacceptable control by politicians are behind us now and we are moving forward as a nation with the media operating freely. The country can now boast of more than ten (10) television stations, over hundred (100+) radio stations nationwide and close to hundred newspapers and magazines. The question however is whether this freedom enjoyed by the press men and women and the media houses they work for are positively used or abused? We will revisit this some where in the write-up. Tenets that guide a good pressman are the principles of truth, precision and most importantly objectivity. These are tenets that when adhered to creates a peaceful, harmonious, religious, respectful and a developed society. What this means thus is that the journalist plays a significant and an enormous role in the peacefulness, cohesiveness and the development of a society.

Journalists aside the issue of reporting on events, having in mind the in-house policy of the media house they work with, are supposed to be guided by the accuracy of stories. This is precision journalism and it is where a journalist is required to report on events/activities, issues or on personalities just as they see it, hear it or observe it. The implication is that the journalist has no luxury of adding something to what they see or hear. He or she needs not polish the event or issues, may be, with the intention of selling his or paper or attracting more listeners or viewers. It also means that reporters/journalists are required to devote much time on gathering all the needed information before going to press. Accuracy and truthfulness are things he or she has to make use of in his or her reportage.

Aside precision is the tenet of objectivity. This tenet does not allow for biasness in news reports. It makes taking sides absent in the news report. For instance when there is an event that involves two persons or two groups, the reporter does not take information from only one side and report on. This will show biasness and thus goes against the ethics of the profession.

These traits are things that should guide the reports of media men and women as they go about their important roles such as: the agenda setting, watchdog and promotional/educational roles. These are important roles that the media needs to play to ensure the achievement of development agendas of national and local governments.

With little delight, I say that some of our journalists and media institutions have imbibed these traits in their operations and turning out good stories guided by the principles of objectivity, truth and precision. It however saddens me to say that the majority are rather going about their journalism duties guided by unethical principles rather than three principles mentioned. The principles of truth, objectivity and precision are compromised for those of untruths, lies, profit motives, propaganda, and the result is the culture of impunity, indiscipline and conflicts in some parts of the country, that we are experiencing.

Taking a cursory look at the programmes aired on our television networks (state controlled and private) shows that as a nation we are confused as to what kinds of behaviours we want our young ones to imbibe. In one instant there is a programme that teaches as to respect our culture and live righteous lives and the next instant another programme is aired contradicting the message of the earlier programme.

Our television stations are flooded with programmes of nudity, conflicts and unacceptable acts and the young ones are exposed to these programmes every single day. For instance a programme like “desperate house wives” teaches the youth absolutely nothing good. On news stands all over the country are magazines and newspapers, with front page pictures of nude women and nothing seems to be done about it.  No wonder the talk on indiscipline among the youth has become a mantra that we sing every day and yet we are still far from recording positive results in that aspect.

The culture of lies is fast becoming accepted as a norm in our society today because the press have assumed the leading role. No day passes without complaints about the truthfulness of a story in a media not made by a personality that the story relates to. This happens mostly in the print media. Guided by the profit making motives, paint-him-black motive, envy and the dislike for a particular person or a group of people, most of our reporters and media institutions go publish stories without the necessary checks. Every single day, we read and hear of retractions of stories that were untrue. This is happening in Ghana.

The culture of impunity and disrespect has also grip this country because the media houses who are supposed to help stop this are rather encouraging it. Just listen to or watch television or a radio station in Ghana today and you will hear and see clear evidence of what I am heading at. Elders and statesmen who are supposed to be role models for the youth are heard and seen insulting each other and the host of those programmes sit and watch. Phone in programmes are the worst offenders. Personalities are insulted everyday by persons who phone in and as a country we don’t seem to have an anti-dote for that. With all these negatives happening with our media industry, one can not but ask whether the plurality of the industry and the removal of the criminal libel law from the statute books by the immediate pass government is serving a good course or otherwise. This is where the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) come in. These bodies are supposed to ensure sanity in the media industry. From the look of things however, it will be hard to say that they are doing their work. May be they are afraid that when they enforce the ethics and apply sanctions to media houses who flout them, they will be seen by the populace as limiting the freedom of the press. Well if that is really what they think, then they need not be there in the first place. The negatives are becoming too much in the industry and they are there to ensure that the mess is wiped off and that they must do without fear or favour. Amen.

Media men should be made to realise the fact that freedom of the press does not mean that they can just go out there and any ‘chaff’ they get hold of, they publish. On the contrary, it means rather showing responsibility and ensuring that the stories they publish lead to the development of the nation they belong. This is the kind of journalism Ghana needs as we fight to be recognised by the community of nations as a middle income country.

I wish all responsible journalists in Ghana, Africa and the world at large a happy press freedom day. For those who are into negative journalism, I pray that the day changes you for the better.

The writer is a friend of the media. sagitom@yahoo.com