Social Commentators, Media Professionalism And National Security

- My Thoughts

Let us all join in giving a big shout out to our gallant media professionals for thier impact on nation building. The vital role of the media in Ghana in contributing towards the entrenchment of democratic ideals cannot be over emphasized. They have, and continue to set the agenda for the discussion of public issues like corruption, armed robbery, human rights abuses, alarming spate of road accidents, serial killings, religious conflicts, cocaine issues, HIV/AIDS among others, and the threats they pose to society and our fledgeling democracy.

Media professioanls are expected to exhibit the highest state of professional competence, care, decorum, and objectivity. This is against the backdrop of the fact that "words and the ink are as powerful as any physical blow". It should be noted also that in Ghana, about 70% of the population can be effectively reached in their own languages through the radio. Recognition of the indispensable contributions of journalism has made it gain the accolade as "the fourth estate of the realm". One wishes that they will continue to live up to their responsibilities.

Unfortunately, however, cheap propaganda rather than reporting issues as they affect the common man, has been the stock in trade and the pre-occupation of most of our modern day journalists. Sections of the media have become light, frivolous and very easily use invectives, insults, cheap populism, tantrums and insinuations over issues that could generate undesireable events in the country.

An even more worrying phenomenon is the situation where certain political activists and journalists who parade themselves as social commentators attempt to sensationalise and politicise issues. They launch unwarranted, unsubstantiated, concocted and cacophonous personal attacks, insinuations and innuendos on radio and television programmes, all in a concerted attempt to cast a slur on the hard won reputation of individuals who, most often they come nowhere near in terms of academic intellect, age, affluence, social standing and the like.

In the pursuit of their cheap, populist and sometimes political agenda, they succed in trivialising issues, diverting attention from the core issues and rather focus on parochial and unintelligible matters based on rumours, unproven allegations, which at the end of the day draw us back in our quest to address problems facing the nation. They simply make it difficult, if not impossible, for one listening to them to decipher between facts and perceptions.

If the media is to be seen and taken seriously, these incessant, orchestrated and senseless attempts by some of these social commentators to quickly settle for defamation, unsubstantiated cases of scandals against public officials and other private individuals whose connections with the scandals they report are very distant (a case in point being the recent attempt by certain journalists cum self-acclaimed social commentators to draw the Asantehene and other renowned statesmen into the cocaine saga) should be a cause of concern for media practitioners and their trainers. Inasmuch as nobody, be it the President, former President, religious or traditional leader, myself or whoever is above the law, deliberate attempts to trample on our cultural and societal values with impunity by some professed social commentators should not be left to pass without comment or notice.

It should be stressed that though some of the commentators are opening their mouths too wide, the vain threats by some purported Asante groups are detestable, condemnable, and criminal, as noted by the Minister of Information and National Oreintation in an interview with JOY FM, no ethnic group in this country is superior to and above the law or any ethnic group. Remember the cause of the Rwandan civil war between the Hutus and Tutsis?

The above not withstanding, it is a pity when some senior journalists who should know better join the train to make unguarded, baseless and inflamatory comments that have the tendency to wreck our infant democracy and bring tension, anarchy and choas (be it perceived or real) into the system.

Or perhaps let me ask, I have found out as a matter of fact, that some of these commentators are paid between ¢200,000 and ¢250,000 for an appearance on a talk show. May this be the reason why some of them who think they are the epitome and embodiment of all wisdom hop from one radio and TV station to the other six times a week just to grab?

Let me be a bit charitable and honest to state that there are some knowledgeable, educative, genuine and development-oreinted ones among these social commentators for example, Opanin Agyekum (of linguistics department of the Unviersity of Ghana, Legon and Peace FM) and some others some of whom are and have been lecturers at the School of Communication Studies and the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

Let me use this opportunity to call on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Radio and TV Station Owners, Programme Producers, and Hosts of Talk Shows to rise up, co-operate and check these cacophonous, whimsical, charlatans, rubble-rousers and gold diggers whose embarrassasing acts, inflamatory and divisive comments have the potential of throwing the noble institution of journalism into an abyss and our beloved country into a jungle. A stitch in time saves nine.