Graphic is 70, hurray!!

The Daily Graphic, the flagship in the stable of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), turned 70 years last Friday, and as part of the year-long activities marking the major milestone, the group organised a float through selected principal streets of the national capital.

In March this year, the group launched the “Graphic @70 Anniversary”, with the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, graciously honouring the occasion with his presence and launching the epoch-making event. Since then, a number of activities have taken place, including the Guest Editor Series, Friday wears and the Graphic@70 Loyalty Promo.

The celebration will be climaxed on October 24 with a high-profile event in Accra.

The Daily Graphic announced its arrival on the newsstand back in 1950, when the country was a British colony. We were there at independence and we have been here through all the landmarks of the growing nation and all the struggles.

As a matter of fact, the longevity of Graphic’s existence is a tribute to its professional excellence and the desire of its growing readership to find refuge in not only the Daily Graphic but also its sister brands — The Mirror, Graphic Sports, Graphic Showbiz, Junior Graphic, Graphic Business and its online portals, Graphic Online and Graphic Newsplus.

While publishing truth and accuracy every day, we have gone through the turbulent times of harsh political regimes and have survived and scaled through successfully.

For 70 years, Graphic has been the torchbearer of Ghanaian journalism, used by many as the measure of standards, professionalism, ethics, objectivity, fairness and balance. Even in turbulent and harsh political regimes, our brands were still there.

We do not just ensure transparency and accountability in governance by providing information but also educate and empower the people for effective participation in democracy and development processes.

We have come this far because truth and accuracy are our hallmark and the code of ethics of the profession remains our guide.
As amply declared by one of our Guest Editors, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, the Daily Graphic and other brands of the GCGL had come this far because they had remained true to the values of independence, truth and accuracy.

The Managing Director of Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited and President of the Ghana Association of Bankers (GAB), Mr Alhassan Andani, and the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, appearing as the first and the second guest editors, respectively, commended the Daily Graphic for its neutrality and professionalism over the years.

We are not infallible, and as a human institution, we are the first to admit and correct our mistakes when we find any.

As a former Editor of the Daily Graphic and current Chairman of the National Media Commission, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, put it: “If the Daily Graphic must become accepted, it is solely because of the objectivity it has displayed over the years. Therefore, it should continue to be the voice of the voiceless to ensure that it promotes diversity and pluralism.”

Another former Editor, Mr Elvis Aryeh, points out that in the face of new societal mores of confusion, deception, fake news, diseases, corruption, among  others, it is imperative for the Daily Graphic to strive to build new structures and values for news dissemination to strengthen the confidence of the people towards their socio-economic and political development.

He continues: “In all of this, Graphic must give higher consideration to the training and empowerment of its human capital, be on the side of the voiceless and also remain abreast of technological  development. That is the surest way to justify its huge investment to remain relevant with the truth and at the same time remain a symbol of a masterpiece of tapestry of events.”

While patting ourselves on the back for surviving the turbulent times, we also want to congratulate the Multimedia Group Limited on its 25th anniversary and the Focus on Africa radio programme of the BBC for attaining 60.

The Daily Graphic commends the Multimedia Group as it celebrates its Silver Jubilee in an election year, with the group’s professionalism once again being put to another test as the country goes to the polls in December.  

To Focus on Africa of the BBC, we say the programme has endeared itself to the audience as a trusted source of news about the African continent. It has earned a reputation for holding power to account in young African nations during civil wars, military coups and crises.  

The challenge facing all of us as we grow is the tendency to sometimes rely on social media rumours. But as the digital media world expands, the challenges will be enormous, and without editorial oversight, information is unchecked and rumours gain credence over truth.

This is where the traditional media play an important function of editorial oversight to provide reliable and accurate news.

As we demand accountability from public officials, we must also ensure that we discharge our responsibilities diligently in order to build a more unified country before, during and after the December polls.

For us at the Daily Graphic, we pledge to be globally competitive in news content and very aggressive in business propositions to survive the next 70 years.

God bless us all.