Another time to celebrate professional journalism
Today, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) holds its 19th awards night to celebrate its members whose performance have been remarkable over the last year.
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The GJA, which was formed in 1948, is the constitutionally recognised body of Ghanaian journalists. In its 66-year-old life, the GJA and its members have, in many ways, helped change the socio-political and economic direction of Ghana, as Ghanaian journalists, like many other professionals, have made the needed sacrifices to ensure that peace prevailed in the country and all its functions.
The press, later referred to as the media, has been considered by many as the ‘fourth estate of the realm’ coming after the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, when it comes to modern governance and democratic rule.
In his book, On Heroes and Hero Worship: Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era, who lived between December 4, 1795 and February 5, 1881, attributed the origin of the term ‘Fourth Estate’ to Edmund Burke, a British politician. According to Carlyle, Burke first used the term in 1787 on the floor of the British Parliament, the House of Commons, in a parliamentary debate on the opening up of press reporting of the House (the Parliament).
Burke’s description of the media as the fourth estate emerged after Louis XVI classified and designated the nobles in society as the ‘first estate’, the clergy as the second, and the commoners as the third.
Journalists crucial to democracy
Since then, journalists and thus journalism, has been seen by many in society as an important arm of all democratic governance. Even in so-called non-democratic and dictatorial regimes, the journalist plays a remarkable role in the governance of the society either as the mouthpiece of the rulers or the ruled.
In Ghana, journalists have, from the colonial period, been on the frontline of the struggle for independence, and hence have been active players in the country’s governance since independence.
It is, therefore, not surprising that in recent years, Ghanaian journalists are recognised and celebrated annually at the awards night organised by the GJA. Due to the crucial roles played by journalists in our society, many organisations and business entities have, over the years, supported the GJA with their donations towards the awards. This acknowledges the recognition by such organisations of the positive impact journalists make on their operations and the larger society.
Performance of Journalists
As the GJA holds the 19th awards tonight, many questions arise regarding the performance of journalists in recent times, and even the GJA itself. There has been a high level of concern by the Ghanaian society about journalism practice in Ghana.
In recent times, a number of our journalists and even media institutions have lost the professional touch of journalism. Some journalists are performing ‘stomach journalism’ where their reports are determined by either the highest bidder or their political affiliation.
Each morning, we take newspapers and don’t know which of the stories in them to believe as we come across diametrically opposed stories on the same function covered by different media institutions and their journalists. Depending on the political affiliation of the editor or publisher, stories are usually slanted to either promote the image of one political party or destroy that of another.
Thank God, due to the democratic air blowing across the country since 1993, there are thousands of radio stations scattered across the country, and therefore the monopoly of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to broadcast news and programmes to the people is no more. However, the quality of the news and programmes given to the nation by these numerous radio stations, and lately television stations, raises serious professional questions.
Like their colleagues in the print media, broadcast journalists have also become partisan in their news reports and programmes. Freedom to broadcast has made some programme hosts tin gods who sit on radio and pronounce judgements on people and institutions. Interestingly, many of such people have no proper training, either academically or professionally in journalism or broadcasting except that they were mobile disc jockeys (DJs) at funerals, wedding or birthday receptions, where they were plugged and placed behind consoles in radio stations.
News reporting in many of the radio stations in the country currently is very problematic. Particularly raising concerns are the vernacular news presenters on both radio and television. Many have turned news casting into ‘abebu’ contests (proverbs rattling competition), where in most times, the proverbs have no bearing on the stories being read.
Vulgar language
Some Ghanaian language newscasters, particularly Akan newsreaders (which I have followed for a long time now), use vulgar language in their news presenting, while others either deliberately or naively twist the news giving it a completely different meaning and context.
From this perspective, annually awarding journalists in the midst of the current situation where many of our journalists have become either public relations or propaganda officers for ruling governments, political parties or private institutions, becomes worrying. Even state-owned media institutions and their journalists are caught in this web where stories are skewed in favour of the government, a political party, or sometimes a private institution for obvious reasons.
The 1992 Constitution guarantees the independence and freedom of the media, yet some of our journalists, and even some state-owned media institutions, have never recognised their freedom from ruling governments since 1993. Our state-owned media have, since the inception of our current democratic dispensation in 1993, not been able to wean themselves off government directives. Editorials, stories, and commentaries by some of these media houses are sometimes nothing more than propaganda messages from governments and their parties.
Despite these infractions, one cannot throw the bath water away together with the baby. It is, therefore, important to note that in the midst of our polarised media where newspapers and their contents or radio and television stations and their programme contents easily tell their political colours, one can still find fine journalists who make the journalism profession still a noble profession for whom the GJA awards nights become relevant.
The GJA itself seems to have become too quiet on professionalism in the media and the earlier it sat up and sanctioned its wayward members, the better the profession would become to enable us as journalists to serve our society better.
So as journalists assemble tonight at the Banquet Hall of the State House, what are we going to award – partisan journalism, yellow journalism, mediocrity, or professionalism?
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PS: Is the Ghana Police Service being responsive to the citizenry or it believes it is above the law. What about its Public Relations Department? This is the 33rd week when this column has sought answers from the Inspector-General of Police over the unlawful killing of Adjei Akpor, the 22-year-old man, his men killed at Adenta on January 6, 2014 but both the IGP and the Police Service have not deemed it fit to respond, neither has the service instituted any enquiry. The widow and children of the decease deserve justice and we shall continue with this fight until the IGP and his service behave as modern police service who are responsive to the public. One lawyer has graciously offered to take up this case, but the family needs funding for the court fees. Meanwhile, we still await other human rights lawyers to join in fighting this case for the defenceless family, as well as philanthropists to donate to cater for the court filing and other fees.
The author is a Journalist and Political Scientist. He is the Head of the Department of Media and Communication Studies, Pentecost University College, Accra. - fasado@hotmail.com