Musings of a journalist

Journalists are the most maltreated group of professionals in Ghana. We are handy scapegoats for all inefficiencies in the system, convenient housekeepers, bearing the burden of all faults in the homeland Ghana.

So an unfavourable report on the cedi falling would normally elicit some reprimand about reports of journalists causing panic from some, while reporting on political party troubles may attract some persecution on a journalist, who may be tagged as “against” or “for” a faction within a party or for one party and against another.

Thus, former President John Mahama in March 2013, apparently weighted under unfavourable reports and criticism of his government and governance, accused journalists of “using their medium to set agendas which did not enhance national development.”

Most times, people are really condescending, at functions and in face-to-face encounters, as though journalists are stupid or children.

Apart from individuals, institutions also treat journalists at their convenience.

Most ministers consider it a waste of time to schedule interviews with journalists.

They would rather meet with development partners and fall over themselves to impress the white man or foreigner, than clarify an issue to make a journalist’s work easier and to tell Ghanaians, to whom they owe the utmost responsibility, the status of policies being developed to meet aspirations of a better life.

Other ministers would brashly tell journalists to leave after the opening of an event, virtually indicating not so politely that they are about to enter into sessions journalists are too dumb to understand, meanwhile janitors of the institution may be sitting in.

But how would we understand if the same ministries and public institutions consign journalists to the covering of openings and close the doors in their faces when they are endeavouring to patronise donors?

How would we understand if journalists are never treated as participants in dialogues requiring the input of all.

I have watched sadly as organisers pay an allowance to participants after events on a policy they are championing or a regulatory framework, yet for journalists, they gave a lesser amount than what participants got as transportation, although the journalist might have participated throughout.

Whereas the participants can go in peace and “chop” whatever has been doled out as participation fee, journalists dare not go and “chop” their transportation freely like that.

They have to work for their transportation, or face the angst and constant harassment of organisers who, incessantly call the journalists to demand the publication of their event.

Being media illiterate, most organisers of programmes do not know that the covering of an event is quite distinct from its  production and publication.

I have also had heads of institutions, instead of responding briefly to queries, redirecting me to their project sites at the end of a function.

I have once, cheekily, responded to one, who referred me in like manner, whether he would not mind if the story on the event, which was the signing of a training agreement between the institution and a Switz partner, delayed until I returned from Akuse, the training site.

The maltreatment can sometimes be rationalised by the way journalists carry themselves about.

From the bosses right down to the least, we treat politicians and heads of institutions as gods, instead of the servants they rightly are.

We can choose to be partisan, but let us not sell our birthright.

Journalists can stand on their own feet without favours from politicians and heads of institutions.

We should have leaders right at the level of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) who would not sell themselves to the highest bidder.