Is The Media In Ghana Really Playing Its Watchdog Role?

“PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT IS THE FORERUNNER OF JUSTICE AND THE FOUNDATION OF DEMOCRACY. THE DUTY OF THE JOURNALIST IS TO FURTHER THOSE ENDS BY SEEKING TRUTH AND PROVIDE A FAIR AND COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNTS OF EVENTS AND ISSUES. CONSCIENTIOUS JOURNALIST FROM ALL MEDIA AND SPECIALTIES STRIVE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC WITH THOROUGHNESS AND HONESTY. PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF JOURNALISTS CREDIBILITY.”

( Preamble to the code of ethics society of professional journalist “ USA)

At the risk of sounding condescending and being labeled snobbish and arrogant, I will like to do a critical analysis on the media landscape in Ghana.

My apprehension for undertaking this exercise is further heightened considered against the background that a large proportion of our media houses seems to be pandering to the whims and caprices of politicians.

According to the ethics of the press, the public have the right to unbiased, accurate, balance and comprehensive information as well as to express themselves freely through dissemination of information, the journalist should bear in mind his/her responsibility to the public at large and various interest in society.

The principles of journalistic code of ethics are designed as guides through numerous difficulties, such as conflicts of interest to assists journalists in dealing with ethical dilemmas.

The codes and canons provide journalists a framework for self-monitoring as they pursue professional assignments yet journalistic codes and canons are flouted with impunity by seasoned professionals in Ghana.

The role of journalism according to an American philosopher Walter Lippman is to act as a mediator between the public and the policy –making elites. In Lippman’s world, the journalist role is to inform the public. It is also to act as a watchdog over the elites, as the public have the final say with their votes.

Since the development of professional journalism, journalists have been expected to follow a stringent code of journalistic conduct that requires them to among other things to report without bias and illustrate many aspects of a conflicts rather than siding with one but is that really the case in Ghana?

Obviously the answer is big NO! Our nation’s top journalists fly on the tailcoats of our politicians for the sake of political expediency and ideological learning otherwise how could one justify the way the sections of the media use the mistakes of the past administrations to rationalize the growing failures of today?

Under Jerry Rawlings's administration, the media kept government on its toes, demanding accountability from public officials and government appointees. Every actions and inactions of government was subjected to undue scrutiny and I believe with every fibre of my conviction and every strand of my faith that public interest was better served in that era, but under Kuffour’s regime right down to this current dispensation, it appears that good journalistic standard has finally gone to the dogs.

How can the public in Ghana for example, get proper, balance and informed opinion of events, if this guaranteed choir of apologists is there , day in day out to sing in disturbing unison, protecting us from facts and truth and taking care to brand any critic of their political paymasters as propagandist.

It is unimaginable to see the way the so-called senior journalist behave like soldier ants, lured with particles of sugar to defend politicians who have perpetuated injustice in society.

It happened under President Kufuor where the likes of Kweku Baako and host of other acerbic journalist defended morally bankrupt politicians and it is resurfacing again with Kwesi Pratt leading the chorus this time.

Practitioners can have sympathy for one political party or the other, but that is different from sheepishly throwing their professional credibility and intelligence away for the proverbial swines to trample upon.

The public in Ghana is being served day in day out with lies, myths, factual inaccuracies, gross ineptitude, culpable fallacies, overt display of ignorance and outright oversimplification of facts by media practitioners yet the Ghana journalist Association sit down unconcerned.

Can this this nation survive much less prosper, if it is built on falsehood, injustice, attrition and media bias?

The sickening aspect of this irresponsible media aggression by these so-called senior editors is how they have become instant experts on every subject under the sun. They approach issues from position of all-knowing and behave as if their wisdom and knowledge are total and absolute.

Not too long ago, Kweku Baako swore heaven and put his professional credibility on the line and defended the then Finance Minister Hon Osafo Marfo on NCTI scam, which later turn out be a fraudulent hoax. He was all over the place assuring Ghanaians that the money will come and as I write, the money has still not arrive yet this guy is walking around defending the indefensible. Now it has emerged that they were paid billions of taxpayers money to do such a dirty work for the government.

Media irresponsibility denied the public the right to balance and unbiased information but sadly it is a common phenomenon in our media landscape.

It is indeed a crying shame that journalists have become apologists of politicians instead of playing their watchdog role. In their attempt to prevent the public from having access to comprehensive information, some of them have turned into journalistic albinos and it would be of no use to blame them because they are politicians in disguise.

What does free press mean to average Ghanaian journalist? Is it ethical and professional for journalist to pose as a media consultants to morally bankrupt politicians of our time?

As a journalists, your journalistic responsibility is to tell the truth, and that means providing the public with all the facts you discover.

It was refreshingly awful listening to Baby Ansaba spill the beans about his bad stories on the health of then candidate Mills. His case is just a graphic picture of the criminality, vile and vicious propaganda and the immorality that we have introduced into our media practice.

What legacies are likes of Kweku Baako, Gina Blay, Egbert Faible, Ken Kuranchie, Baby Ansaba and other acerbic journalists leaving for up and coming journalist like myself when indeed they have inherited quality journalism and balance reportage from seasoned professionals such as Nana Esilfie Kondua, Cyrial Acolatse, Tommy Thompson, Godwin Avornogbe etc.

Else where in the world, journalism is a multi-billion pound business that thrives on the scholarship of seasoned professionals and news hungry temperament of a literate public but here in Ghana, it is a regular doses of hype, sloppy and abysmal reporting, sensationalism, distortions, innuendos and adversarial writing pursued by self opinionated dogmatists.

Bob Woodward, a Washington post reporter in the US became a living legend among journalist the day Richard Nixon resigned from the Presidency in 1974 when his “deep throat" source unraveled the Watergate scandal.

As a result of his unparalleled success, Woodward has come to represent investigating reporting. Ironically journalists in Ghana hide behind so-called “deep throat” sources to feather their own selfish ends.

Is it just a classic tale of media irresponsibility, pseudo journalism or corporate greed?

In a profession that values the truth, is it ethical to lie in an attempt to do public relation for a politician that has lost credibility with the masses?

Media houses keep springing up every now and then in an attempt to put a human face to the liberalization of press freedom but the sort of journalism being practice in these media houses is a complete assault on the democratic ideal of free press.

The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has become irrelevant because it is unable to control its recalcitrant and intransigence members who have continue to disregard its own code of ethics with impunity. And the National Media Commission (NMC) on the otherhand is just a papertiger and its attempt to insulate the state owned media from government control has also become a mirage.

Journalists may differ on what is “right or wrong” in a given situation. However PROPER ETHICAL STANDARD REQUIRES A DUTY BEYOND THAT OF LAW TO ACT IN THE INTEREST OF SOCIETY.

Media houses in the US for example has editorial and ideological policy towards the “right” or the “left” but their ethical standards is second to none.

In the run up to the the Iraq invasion for instance, the BBC held the British government accountable to the people and it led to the resignation of Tony Blair’s communication director Alistair Campbell.

Bad journalism has done a lot of harm elsewhere therefore it is incumbent on practitioners to do self censorship so as to make this country a better place.

In Rwanda, newspaper articles as well as inciting propaganda messages from ‘Radio Mille Collins” Hutu dominated Radio station led to the genocide in that country. Also in Nigeria, a report from “This Day” newspaper by female journalist by name Isioma Daniel on prophet Mohammed resulted in Muslims rioting and living about hundred people dead.

JOURNALISTS MUST KNOW THAT, THE ESSENCE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT IS THE SACRIFICE OF ONE’S WELL BEING FOR THE BENEFITS OF ONE’S SOCIETY.

We may continue to criticize some of the excess committed by media practitioners but we expect them to serve as a watchdog on government, business and other actors, enabling the people to make informed decisions on the issues of the time.

Dr. Audry Gadzekpo, a fine lecturer at the school of communication studies legon once remarked that objectivity, truthfulness, fairness, integrity and public trust is the hallmark of ethical journalism.

Against this backdrop of mercenary journalism, media hooliganism, self centredness, impunity, parochialism, hypocrisy, selective reporting and double standard, what can the public do to have access to unbiased, accurate, balance and comprehensive information?

Yes, there are many journalists in the country who, against all odds, are doing their best to deliver their mandate as a voice of the voiceless.

The likes of Stan Dogbe, Raymond Archeer, Anas Amereyaw Anas, Roland Acqua Stevens and the folks at both TV3 and Joy FM are changing the face of media practice in this country. But if practitioners continue to idolize corrupt but rich politicians and scorn their social responsibility, they will write their legacy on water.

The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) can continue to play the ostrich that all is well but they must know that confidence in the media is spiraling down.

I rest my case.

Emmanuel Dela Coffie

The writer is a student Journalist and he welcome your comments via [email protected]