Ghanaian media don’t make sense – Sarkodie speaks

Sarkodie, winner of Ghana’s Most Influential Artiste Award has told NEWS-ONE he is not happy about how a section of Ghanaian journalists are delighted in writing negative stories that “do not make sense” about the country’s musicians.

The musician said while journalists in other countries are putting their musicians in good light, Ghanaian journalists are doing the exact opposite. He cited two instances which he felt the Ghanaian media was giving him negative publicity.

NEWS-ONE publishes an unedited transcript of exactly what Sarkodie said when the paper recently asked him to clarify reports that he had a problem with the media:

“What I was trying to say is that I have travelled around the world and I see what goes on in different countries. I have been to Nigeria and when I listen to their radio, it is as if there is no bad press or negative publicity unless it is very negative.

Of course if you go rape somebody, they have to talk about it. That one is different. But we have some type of negative publicity here that is not needed. I can choose to talk about it because I think I am in a safe place, I have my fan base and I do what I am supposed to do.

But I feel for the new ones coming up because there are a lot of talents and videos coming up which we can talk about on the morning shows for people to understand that there is a new guy out who is rapping or singing.

I launched my foundation on my birthday. I went to a children’s home in Kasoa to give them whatever. I had sponsors on and I brought the media in. But the media report I had about that donation was that ‘Sarkodie dances with orphans’ which does not make sense. You understand?

I did not go to dance with the orphans. They said I performed my tracks but if you were there, I did not do a single song. They did not even show a picture of what I offered to the kids. So this makes me wonder, did they just want something? I don’t get it. Sometimes it just gets tiring.

I was just trying to make people understand that the media is the only way that people outside can know what is going on in the industry. And when the media fights for artistes, they are fighting for Ghana. The main reason why Channel O cannot come to Ghana to do a show is because we do not have handful of strong artistes in Ghana.

But we have the people who are capable; all they need is push and publicity. If we have that fan base here, journalists are going to make money, not through artistes making money but by writing proposals to big companies. For example if you send a proposal and you have five Ghanaian artistes, the promoter may think twice on whether to do it or not.

But if you go to Nigeria and you mention P Square, Wizkid, D’Banj, you can make your money right there. I mean on the table. So you see, it runs down and comes back to us.

So if the media is talking for Sarkodie or R2Bees or Guru or Stay Jay or anybody else, it is for Ghana.

What I am saying is that when I go on the blogs, I keep reading negative stuff.

I tweeted and I said something about Sarkology and the release and all that.

No one called me to ask about the date and what we are to expect.

But Akon comes down to say I did not sign Sarkodie and that is major news, and it does not make sense. That was basically what I was talking about.