The Chairperson of the National Media Commission (NMC), Professor Akua Opokua Britwum, has emphasised that the relevance of state-interest media organisations lies beyond commercialisation of media content.
The NMC Chair commended Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) in particular for responding to the changing terrain over the years by diversifying its revenue sources and expanding its product range.
Prof. Britwum said state-interest institutions published products and content that promoted good government policy and national security while maintaining balance and offering space to diverse and opposing views.
"A challenge of your mandate as a state media outlet is the constitutional requirement for state-owned media to afford fair opportunities and facilities for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions.
"Keeping to this mandate of providing national coverage comes at a cost. Maintaining a presence nationwide to gather content and distribute newspapers beyond the established, commercially vibrant sectors of our nation requires significant resource deployment," she said.
Prof. Britwum was speaking at the inauguration of a new nine-member Board of Directors for GCGL in Accra last Friday.
The new board is chaired by Prof. Samuel Kwaku Hayford, an educationist, with Emmanuel Osei Ofosu, an accountant; Richard Asamoah-Mensah, Industrial Relations Officer of the Trades Union Congress (TUC); Frederic Kofi Rockson, a system analyst, and Dr Camynta Baezie, consultant and President of the Ghana Association of Writers, as members.
The rest of the board members are Elvis Aaron Amenyitor, a lecturer and chartered accountant; Bernard Owusu, a truck marshalling manager; Prof. Rufai Kilu Haruna, a lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), and Ato Afful, the Managing Director of GCGL.
Prof. Britwum reckoned that traditional media, particularly the print fraternity, had been presented with a daunting challenge as digital media provided news consumers with multiple channels for news.
"Digital media present opportunities: a drastic reduction in printing and distributing news.
"In fact, they give you access to a global audience. Some even add a reduction in environmental footprint,” she said.
The NMC chairperson, however, commended GCGL for responding over the years by diversifying its revenue sources and expanding its product range.
"Currently, in addition to Daily Graphic and The Mirror, your publications include Graphic Sports, Graphic Showbiz, and the Junior Graphic, a product targeting young readers," she said.
Prof. Britwum said the Daily Graphic remained the standard in the Ghanaian media space, and that the fact that Graphic remained the Ghanaian word for print media testified to its enduring nature.
She announced that the government had approved a strategy proposal to recapitalise the company.
"We must get it right this time. We expect change beyond new equipment and infrastructure, and a focus on a sustainable funding model beyond commodification of content," Prof. Britwum stated.
The NMC Chairperson challenged GCGL to reposition its coverage of state events as an asset, rather than a liability.
Prof. Britwum called on the management of GCGL to re-examine company policy on staff retention, especially among journalists, to ensure that the best talents did not exit too frequently.
She said such a policy must be crafted not to flout the labour laws, but to ensure that the company’s best journalists were maintained.
She said when staff built years of experience and industry knowledge, they needed to be retained to build and sustain the company brand.
MD
The Managing Director of GCGL, Mr Afful, said the Daily Graphic, for instance, was committed to its mandate of truth and accuracy every day.
He said the newspaper remained the referral point for information that could be trusted.
The MD, however, said about 85 per cent of production inputs were imported, and against the backdrop of unstable forex markets, it impacted the company’s overhead costs.
That, together with its ageing press, although one of the best on the continent, posed a great challenge to meeting its targets.
"Graphic is not a subvented organisation; rather it functions on an advertising-funded module.
"With such a module, if care is not taken, we might deviate from our core mandate," he said.
The Chairman of the new Board, Prof. Hayford, said the new team would deploy their knowledge and skills to build the company.
