Responsible media key to development

As we garner more life experiences and make progress in this journey called life, a lot of things begin to make better meaning to us. In essence, we begin to appreciate even better, how all the little components of the structure of our society make our country tick.

I guess we over-focus on the political super structure, its institutions, processes and direction. We tend to be hypersensitive to issues of the economy and finance. Inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, etc. are more of our heartbeat than those things that define us as a people.

The net effect is that we relegate identity formers such as our culture, tradition, values, principles and even our history to the background.

The power of the media

One area of practice that helps define who we are as a people and that also falls victim to our neglect is the media. Yet, the media’s power to mobilise and immobilise is so strong.

As Malcolm X, the African-American human rights activist postulates, “The media are  the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that is power, because they control the minds of the masses.”

It is often said that the state of the media is a reflection of the society in which the media finds itself.

The implication is that a positive shift in the state of the media will induce a corresponding change in society at large. It is our responsibility as a country, therefore, to work towards those shifts in the media that will precipitate a lot more positivity in our society.

We should work on those shifts in our media space that will unleash the power that the media has to herd this country towards the direction that serves the interest of all Ghanaians.

The media and history

The media recount the history of a country on a daily basis. They serve as a store of knowledge and information. As Philip L. Graham, co-Owner of the Washington Post, said, “Journalism is the first rough draft of history.”

On a daily basis, therefore, the media generates information which could be processed into invaluable historical data that can aid governments in their decision-making. Consequently, the role of the media in this country is as essential as the work it does.

 The media is well-positioned in time and space to capture and document our history in ways that make it relevant to national growth and development.

This is particularly so for countries such as Ghana that uphold the values and principles of free press. Indeed, the progress and development of nations are inextricably linked to the freedom of expression. It takes determination, sacrifice and courage on the part of the media to embed a national culture that is supportive of free expression.

When it comes to that, the Graphic Communications Group Limited should hold its head high, because looking back on your journey in the Ghanaian media space from as far back as 1950, there is no denying the fact that you have been pacesetters in this regard. Your content bears testimony to that.

Today, we still recollect the heroic story of Mrs Elizabeth Ohene, then of the Daily Graphic. She was appointed by the then President, Dr Hilla Limann, as the Editor of the Daily Graphic.

However, in defence of press freedom, Ms Ohene declined the appointment, arguing that editors of the state-owned newspapers were appointed by the then Press Commission as part of efforts to insulate the media from governmental control.

To Ms Ohene, her appointment as editor was so wrong that she would not accept it. In the process, she sacrificed her career advancement and comfort in defence of the values and principles of press freedom. How I wish this country had many more Elizabeth Ohenes! 

Ethics and professionalism

I, however, want to use this opportunity to address an aspect of the tradition and practice of media work – ethics and staying true to the journalism profession – which I hope you will uphold and safeguard.

Endeavour to ensure that you maintain the integrity you have built for yourselves over the years. Media and ethics are bedfellows and I hope that it is a constant reminder to all of you as you do your work.

In a recent interaction with members of this Parliament, I shared with them the need to uphold the integrity of the House by respecting and abiding by the Code of Conduct for Parliament.

As I told them, there was nothing wrong with enjoying the privileges that MPs’ distinct standings in society offered them; but there would be everything wrong with them forgetting that what they had were privileges.

Being in positions of power or influence means that some other people have sacrificed their comfort and influence for us to be able to lead them. That should never be the reason for them to forget where the actual power resides.

 The power to do what you do is sacred, but without the people that you do what you do for, you would not have much to do. Respect the distinct roles you have in the society, enjoy what you do but you must not forget to respect the people from whom you generate your content.

Abide by the ethics of the profession. That is the only way to avoid the joke which says, “a lawyer will destroy somebody’s life for $400 per hour; but a journalist will do it for free”. Journalists are certainly better than that, but it requires effort in order to bring that to light.

Capacity building

Another issue of concern to me is the need to develop capacity and build experience among the media players. That will enhance your work. Whilst capacity building for media practitioners appears to be few and far between, there is also the worrying trend of media managers or editors moving their reporters so often and quickly from one beat to another.

A typical example is those who report from Parliament. By the time they start understanding the processes, procedures and practices of the House and participate in a training programme, they would have been moved somewhere else and a new reporter brought in.

This tendency denies all of us of the benefits from the quality and insightful reports that come with knowledge, consistent application and understanding.

I would appeal to managers, editors and proprietors of media organisations to help us maintain consistency, and by extension build the capacity of media personnel to become experts in the fields they choose to report on.

The fact that Parliament spends money to train the journalists and just when they are about settling in, they are recalled into the newsrooms is something I really wish you will help us solve. It is a discouragement to training delivery and can be frustrating.