The President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Ransford Tetteh has ranked as Grade ‘B’ the performance of the media in Ghana based on their reportage on national issues.
According to him, the proliferation of media houses in the country has contributed to the increasing ethical challenges facing the journalism profession.
Mr. Ransford Tetteh was reacting to criticisms by the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensah Otabil that the media is being used as a channel for politicians to trade insults among themselves.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday, Ransford Tetteh noted that respect for the GJA Code of Ethics would help to build a conducive environment for the practitioner to have the right conscience to discharge his or her duties in a very professional manner.
He said even though the public is more interested in sensational stories, media practitioners being the fourth estate of the realm must commit themselves to the values and ideals of the profession.
The GJA President observed that Pastor Otabil’s criticism of the media was in the right direction because it points the way for media practitioners to now focus more on development oriented reportage rather than the sensational news stories.
He charged practitioners and institutions to guard against un-professional practices that detracts from the journalism profession.
Meanwhile, the Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson has blamed the problem on the public who prefer the sensational stories than developmental issues.
He explained that “the problem lies with the Ghanaian public; they can determine what they want and after some time the media will give it to them”.
Story by: Adwoa Gyasiwaa/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
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