Mills office protests to National Media Commission

Accra, Oct 2, GNA - The Office of Professor John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday protested against what it described as fabrications and falsehood publications on the health status of Professor Mills in 'The Moon' and 'The New Punch' newspapers.

The Office in a letter addressed to the Executive Secretary of National Media Commission (NMC) complained about "unethical reportage by 'The Moon' and 'The New Punch'.

The letter said for sometime now certain Media Houses have made it their stock-in-trade to be publishing outright falsehood with regard to the health status of the NDC Flagbearer for Election 2008, Prof John Evans Atta Mills.

The letter signed by Mr Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central and Spokesman for Prof Mills, made particular reference to the Monday, October 1, 2007, edition of 'The Moon' and Tuesday, October 02, 2007, edition of 'The New Punch'.

It said the stories headlined "Mills' Doctor Angry as Mills Ignores His Instructions", by 'The Moon' and "Mills is Dying Slowly" by 'The New Punch' were outright fabrications.

The letter, which was copied to the Media, said: "We are aware that the Ghana Journalists Association's Code of Ethics frowns upon such unethical conduct, and bring this unacceptable practice by the above-named Media Houses to your attention.

"The Office of the Flagbearer of the NDC anticipates that you would use your good office to get 'The Moon', 'The New Punch', and other Media Houses that are debasing the journalism profession with regard to publishing and disseminating falsehood about the health status of John Evans Atta Mills, to put an end to their unethical brand of journalism. "We hope that Article 167 (b) of the Constitution would guide the NMC as it looks into this matter of unethical practice by some Media Houses."

The Article asks the NMC "to take all appropriate measures to ensure the establishment and maintenance of the highest journalistic standards in the mass media, including investigation, mediation and settlement of complaints made against or by the press or other mass media."