Adhere to journalism ethics — Elizabeth Ohene

A former acting Editor of the Daily Graphic, Ms. Elizabeth Ohene has asked the staff of the paper to ensure that the paper contains something that instigates and provokes everyday. 

Taking her turn as the Guest Editor of the Daily Graphic yesterday, Ms. Ohene called on the journalists to be careful about using social media as a source of information without fact-checking.

She said there was no need to make a fetish of putting two sides of a story, as what was important was to make sure of your facts.

Citing her tenure as the acting Editor of the Daily Graphic as an example, Ms. Ohene noted that she always went ahead with any story she felt was credible, without necessarily seeking different sides to the story.

Activities

The Guest Editor programme is among activities lined up to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Daily Graphic.

As part of her role, Ms. Ohene took over the Editor’s role and steered affairs during the morning conference to review the day’s publication, while comparing how the paper fared with competition.

She also chaired the afternoon Editorial Conference, during which stories were selected for today’s publication.

Ms. Ohene discharged her duties with ease, demonstrating in-depth knowledge of the role she left in January 1982 when she was asked to proceed on an indefinite leave.

She did not recount the challenges she faced working at the Daily Graphic, which she said was her first job after university, and which she did for 13 years, but she fitted easily into the newsroom routine and handled the morning and afternoon editorial conferences.

Convictions

The Guest Editor advised staff of the GCGL to support one another in the newsroom and production of the newspapers to make sure they would provide a united front in dealing with the public.

She said if staff were convinced about what they were putting out and could defend their editorial positions at all times, they should not waver but come out forcefully and stand by their position.

Ms. Ohene, who is also a former Editor at the BBC and Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, commended the GCGL for operating in a modern office and with modern working tools, a marked departure from the two typewriters and typists who typed handwritten stories by reporters in the past.

“When I first came here, there were two typewriters with two typists. You wrote your scripts by hand and they typed. Today, it is different altogether and I hope that you’ve grown with it and the modernity is demonstrated through your work,” she said.

Ms. Ohene expressed her passion for covering Africa and urged the Daily Graphic to extend its coverage of the continent, particularly to Ghana’s immediate neighbours Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo.

Ms. Ohene praised

For her part, the Director of News at the GCGL, Mrs. Mavis Kitcher, eulogised Ms. Ohene as a prolific writer who continued to contribute immensely to the success of the company.

She asked journalists to tap into the guest editor’s advice to adhere to the high standards of the profession.

“She is one of our own. Ms. Ohene contributed immensely to the success of the Daily Graphic over the years, during which she rose to become the acting Editor of the paper.

“Today, she is back to share with us some of the lessons learnt throughout her journey in journalism and I entreat everyone to tap into her experience,” Mrs. Kitcher noted.

Guest Editors

Ms. Ohene is the third guest to feature in the Guest Editor series.

The Managing Director of the Stanbic Bank and President of the Ghana Association of Bankers, Mr. Alhassan Andani, was the first guest editor.

The General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Yaw Baah, took his turn as the second.