General News of Wednesday, 19 July 2017
Source: mynewsgh.com
2017-07-19
Let the media not blame government rather blame itself for reducing the integrity of the profession
The Executive Director of The Press Foundation, Listowell Yesu Bukarson insists that government did no wrong by not inviting Radio Gold and other perceived opposition media houses to the President’s meeting with the media yesterday.
“Why did any reasonable person expect the organizers to invite media houses who are in bed with opposition parties who clearly will jump at any opportunity to bring a government down” He asked.
Adding that “Journalists are expected to be neutral, fair, circumspect to garner the respect and recognition of all, including successive government in the discharge of their duties. But if journalists choose to do otherwise by showing open bias, dislike and hatred for one political party of the other, you clearly don’t expect the affected political party to pretend to be an ostrich”
“Who in this country does not know the position of Radio Gold and other NDC sympathizing radio stations in this country” Mr. Bukarson quizzed.
“Why must we call it as it is, If u ask me, the media is its own enemy”. The former Ashanti Regional chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association asked.
“Until we stop the journalism of hypocrisy, operate in tandem with the ethics of this noble and enviable profession of journalism, we will always be preferred against by one political party or the other when it suits them” he emphasized.
“In any case who will offer his opponent the gun to shoot him on the battle field” Mr. Bukarson further asked.
“I guess it’s a lesson not just for Radio Gold, but for all other media houses who side step the ethics to do the bidding of political parties at the expense of the same ethics of journalism”. He charged
Let the media not blame government or the organizers but rather blame itself for reducing the integrity of the profession to that low ebb in recent times” He advised.
On the criteria for the selection of journalists to the event, Mr. Bukarson, questioned, “How else did anyone expect the Information Ministry to have handled it?
“We can’t have the hundreds of media houses and the thousands of journalists attending the event”. He said.
Stressing that, “instead of belaboring the needless question of criteria for the invitations, let’s focus on the content at the event. Which I guess was excellent”
The President conducted himself creditably well, showed enormous respect and recognition to the media, articulated his address and responses so well. In the end he gave Ghana hope for the future and clearly that’s what matters and not the noise of who should have been invited and who did not get invited. After all, the event was live so all were still a part of the event, though from our homes and offices” He added.
He thought the president was very fair and sincere with the media and by extension, the nation.
“It’s funny how people think the president should have acted as an epitome of knowledge to answer questions which could best be answered by the respective people at the event.
“The Vice President and the Attorney General responded appropriately to questions within their reach to the admiration of the media. And that’s a sign of sincerity to a nation” Mr Bukarson said
He commended the President for the opportunity to interact with the media but called for more of such platforms to be addressed by sector ministers across the country.
