A presidential staffer in Ghana, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has expressed worry over what he says is the deliberate attempt by the media in the West African country to destroy his reputation.
According to the former media practitioner, some Ghanaian media houses deliberately refuse to crosscheck facts and validity of stories before broadcasting them.
“Personally, media houses have sort to destroy my reputation and image over the years, not least, Multimedia that i worked with, and lately the Daily Graphic. Don't I, as an individual also deserve not to be attacked and destroyed just like the media that must not be attacked?”
“….what about the innocent Ghanaian, business owner or business 'attacked', vilified, insulted, denigrated by the media? Don't they also have rights? Though a journalist, I think that sometimes we overrate ourselves and even sometimes think that we can ignore the rules just because we are journalists, and can scream attack when we are stopped, but never think of the reserve” he wrote in reaction to a Facebook comment by the Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief at the Graphic Communications Group, Ken Ashigbey, urging media practitioners in the country to protect each other from attacks.
According to him, most altercations that have occurred between the media and some state organizations have been occasioned mostly by the inability of some media practitioners to work within rules during events.
“From my work, I also know that many Ghanaian media, especially camera persons, are indiscipline, not professional and shabby, except a few. Cut off zones assigned them are never adhered to, and what happens is that, others with strict assignments to implement at event venues, for which the cut-off points are designated must work extra hard to do their work” he stated.