Martin Kpebu
Journalism is one of the finest professions in the world today. Those who practice it well are held in high esteem by the public and are rewarded as well as celebrated.
Sometime ago, Journalism was the third most sought after programme at Legon following Business and Law.
Today, thanks to multi-party democracy for which there is an Akan euphemism, “kabi na menkabi”, our media platforms have become forums for people to say anything at all including outright disrespect to the President of the Republic, as if media freedom does not impose a responsibility on the practitioners.
For six days in a week, some media houses offer no education to the public as one of their critical roles, but open nationwide megaphones for otherwise respectable people to further polarise the society. Where are the role models in the media today? Some of these media houses have given opportunities to personalities such as Martin Kpebu, Prof. Gyampo and others in academia and civil society to run down anybody they detest as if they have no elders in their homes.
While these characters smear others, the hosts of these talk shows believed to have trained as journalists applaud them on live radio and TV instead of calling them to order. We wonder whether our media professional bodies, trade associations and constitutional bodies are satisfied with the professional and ethical standards in the media.
It is sad that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the umbrella professional body of journalists seem to have developed such a posture that nobody dares to question the propriety of media reportage.
Such a mindset is dangerous from the GJA whose mandate besides ensuring the welfare of media practitioners includes the promotion of the highest journalistic standards.
We are worried about the attitude of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) towards the violence. And just as others have done, the NCCE was mute about the behaviour of A Plus and Bulldog, but took the hoodlums to the cleaners. Rightly so but in the case of A Plus and Bulldog, or is he Bullgod, the NCCE took the posture of see nothing, hear nothing. If the NCCE does not understand the media operations, it should concentrate on its core mandate of public education so that for the first time turnout at the upcoming district level elections will be historic.
We think the National Media Commission (NMC) too has to up its game to get media players to appreciate that in so far as they have the freedom to practice, the constitution imposes a charge on them to exercise the freedom with responsibility.
Not too long ago when certain people decided to use the legal regime to stop the freedom of the media degenerating into media tyranny, there was public outcry that politicians want to use the court to gag the media.
Those who think that there is no restraint to media freedom are advised to read Lord Denning’s Dictum on “Publish and be damned.”
The arrogant posture of some journalists and commentators should give way to sober reflection and a step back from the hate speech and unsubstantiated allegations they make against their political opponents in radio and television studios.
These days we wonder who ensures that the content in the media is wholesome and promotes national cohesion. Every person with some means establishes a media house, but most people lack the wherewithal to hire people to produce the right content. Almost all TV stations have some telenovela of a kind used to bastardise with local translations because somehow the Ghanaian audience has fallen for it.