Agyenim Boateng reacts to Adom-Otchere's cunning apology to Zanetor

Former Deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim-Boateng has expressed worry and disappointment over Paul Adom-Otchere’s seeming apology to Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, which he says is a reflection of his professionalism after many years of experience.

According to him, the host of the Good Evening Ghana should have shown professionalism by taking full responsibility for his attacks against the Korle Klottey Member of Parliament on his programme instead of hiding behind his emotions.

Miss Agyeman-Rawlings was attacked by Paul Adom-Otchere following her suggestions that some government appointees were distributing food and other relief items based on party lines during the partial lockdown.

She said “People are using partisanship to distribute food. This is a humanitarian crisis. People are literally being asked to show evidence of their party membership before they are given food,” adding that the action taken is unacceptable and very sad”.

Reacting to this, Paul Adom-Otchere who is the host of Good Evening Ghana, last week Thursday, used his show to ‘address’ the matter.

Like the government appointees, Adom-Otchere took a swipe at the MP and debunked her assertions on the grounds that there was no evidence to back the claims.

After several attacks on social media, Paul Adom-Otchere on his show yesterday, said he was carried away with his emotions while trying to condemn comments of Dr Zanetor.

He said “During the reprimand against the statement that was issued by the MP, videos available showed that I was carried away by emotions...

And so the reprimand was carried out in an emotional manner,” he explained.

However, Former Deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim-Boateng said Paul got it wrong again adding that as a professional journalist he ought to know and distinguish between professionalism and emotions.

He added that he should have shown professionalism by taking full responsibility of his action and apologies to the MP.

In a Facebook post, he said, “I am even more disappointed after watching Paul Adom-Otchere's "comments on post editorial reactions" following his attacks on Hon. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP on the same programme last week. Paul makes the point this evening that he was carried away and therefore got emotional during his attack on the MP. And that is precisely the source of my worry and disappointment.”

“Mr Adom-Otchere has been practising radio and television journalism for probably over two decades. When I was a broadcast journalist, Mr Adom-Otchere was a media practitioner. It has been over ten years since I quit as a radio broadcaster, and for all those years, Paul has been practising in the media. If after all these years, he cannot distinguish between when to be professional from when to be emotional, then perhaps all his years in active media practise count for nothing.”

Below is his full post

Dear Good Evening Ghana Official,

PAUL ADOM-OTCHERE GOT IT WRONG AGAIN

I am even more disappointed after watching Paul Adom-Otchere's "comments on post editorial reactions" following his attacks on Hon. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP on the same programme last week.

Paul makes the point this evening that he was carried away and therefore got emotional during his attack on the MP. And that is precisely the source of my worry and disappointment.

Mr Adom-Otchere has been practising radio and television journalism for probably over two decades. When I was a broadcast journalist, Mr Adom-Otchere was a media practitioner. It has been over ten years since I quit as a radio broadcaster, and for all those years, Paul has been practising in the media. If after all these years, he cannot distinguish between when to be professional from when to be emotional, then perhaps all his years in active media practise count for nothing.

If after a careful reflection, (and upon tonnes of unsolicited good counsel offered by the public on social media after his attack on Zanetor), Paul feels a sense of remorse for his unprofessionalism (and that is what it was) against the Klottey-Korle MP, then he should have frontally and fully taken responsibility for it and apologise to the MP.

Paul needs not hide behind this evening's "I was emotional", unless his full statement is that he was emotional and hence, unprofessional in how he handled the subject matter involving Hon. Dr. Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings.

It is not a mark of excellent journalism not to take responsibility when things go wrong. It is in fact unprofessional not to acknowledge and make amends when you do not get it right. This is because when media practitioners get it wrong, they show professionalism by taking full responsibility for what went wrong; they do not make excuses!

Thank you.

Warm regards,

James.