The National Media Commission (NMC) has described a documentary by Multimedia on the training of a supposed ‘militia’ at the Osu Castle as “misleading and a misrepresentation.”
According to the commission, the decision by the Multimedia, Joy News, to take a photograph from a BBC report on an attack on the Nigerian Senate, in order to promote the documentary, fell below journalistic ethical standards owing to their failure in appropriately relating the photo to that documentary.
In its ruling, the commission deplored the media organisation for associating President Akufo-Addo with the De-Eye group as “unfair especially when the Multimedia Group later publicly apologized to the President.”
Again, the commission held that the Multimedia’s inclusion of shots from the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence and an attack on the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator “were at variance with the activities of De-Eye Group as captured at the Castle.”
Documentary
The Multimedia with its reporter, Mannaseh Azure, earlier this year, filmed a documentary alleging the training of a supposed ‘militia’ at the Osu Castle.
The documentary, which was aired on Joy News and other affiliates of the Multimedia, alleged that De-Eye Group is affiliated to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
It claimed the De-Eye Group was training vigilantes at the Osu Castle – former seat of government in Accra.
Both the De-Eye and government denied the allegations on the training of vigilantes, and De-Eye group has even filed a suit against the private media network and its reporter.
Complaint
The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, on March 13, filed a complaint on behalf of government against the Multimedia Group before the NMC that the documentary had made certain claims which could not be supported by the fact adduced.
Government in its complaint had urged the NMC to investigate the matter and direct a retraction and apology, as well as any other appropriate sanctions if the private media organization is found to have erred.
Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah reiterated during the hearing that “the documentary did not contain any material fact and was full of exaggeration to cause sensationalism.”
Defense
Multimedia in their defence reiterated that the documentary was factual, arguing they offered government “more than enough opportunity to explain issues which were rebuffed and that there was evidence to suggest the Castle was a security zone.”
Ruling
The commission chaired by Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh after hearing arguments from both parties held that the documentary flouted the ethical standards as set out by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) with respect to the use of photographs which do not depict a story.
The commission found that “there was no predisposition to violence in the documentary. Therefore, the association of the De-Eye Group with the Ayawaso West Wuogn violence and the BBC story from Nigeria were sensational.”
The commission also held that whereas it finds the presence of De-Eye Group at the Castle problematic and unacceptable, the group did not manifest any violent conduct to be described as a militia or vigilante group from the documentary as the people of Ghana have come to identify such groups.”
BY Gibril Abdul Razak