Journalists and insurance
It is a truism that journalists would do everything to ensure that we have a just society, particularly, through the publication or broadcast of information to draw attention to policy makers.
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From ensuring that politicians don’t take undue advantage of poor taxpayers to workers who press home demands for one condition of service or the other, the journalist is always at the beck and call of every member of society, including the mentally deranged!
Sadly though, our ‘inky friends’ will not do same for themselves! Suffice to say, journalists across the world face a lot of occupational hazards. I am sure readers will immediately recall the Ashong-man
Estate incidence a couple of years ago, where a GTV cameraman was badly attacked by a civil contractor for taking some footage. Beyond the public reprimand, whether or not a punitive action was taken against the contractor, ‘your guess may just be as good as mine.’
Recent developments
Indeed, in our recent past, many journalists have suffered one way or the other for just doing their work. Perhaps, the death of Samuel Nuamah, formerly of the Ghanaian Times and a member of the Presidential Press Corps (May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace!), who died in a fatal motor accident while on duty a few weeks ago, immediately comes to mind. He is gone and his immediate family is the biggest loser.
As usual, there was a loud chorus, with the lead chorister being the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). The good thing ,however, was his intro indicating an insurance package for journalists. Good to know!
The controversy
Nearly a fortnight after his burial, I shudder to say ‘the Samuel Nuamah song’ has already lost its hit. While everyone else seems to have overcome the tragic loss, the family of the affable late journalist still has his memories fresh on their minds, especially, waking up to the reality of no income to fall on. This, undoubtedly, resonates with popular statement that ‘tomorrow is not ours.’
Unfortunately, it does appear most of our hardworking journalists easily disregard insurance, particularly, life insurance either out of limited comprehension or other reasons best known to them. If there was a headcount today, I will not be surprised if not more than 20 per cent of our journalists have personal insurance policies. In the case of motor insurance, like many other Ghanaians professionals, most of our journalists would rather take a third-party as opposed to comprehensive insurance. Indeed, the reason is obviously not farfetched, as it is either to pay a little premium or to meet the requirement of the law or both.
Apathy towards insurance
Like most individuals, some of our journalists have a misplaced inclination that mishaps may only come the ways of others and not them. In my discourse with friends in the inky fraternity, I come across many who attempt to give sound reasons for their not taking up personal insurance. Indeed, an inky friend once posited, “…charley, taking this your funeral policy is a subtle way of invoking death upon myself….” Tried as I could, my friends are still unyielding towards their personal insurance.