Dadzie, Press Freedom and the Hypocrisy of the Mills Administration!

“If journalists cannot be trusted to guarantee confidentiality, then journalists

cannot function, and there cannot be a free press'' - Judith Miller, US

journalist!

Ato Kwamina Dadzie, an acting news editor of joy has come under fire for

publishing a news item on Joy FM. He is also being charged with the offense of

publishing news story “with intent to cause fear and alarm” after he refused to

name the sources behind a news broadcast on Joy FM on July 6th 2010. The state

is charging Ato Kwamina Dadzie with a criminal offence. It’s the same charge

being faced by Nana Darkwa, who accused Rawlings of setting fire to his own

house.

The state has every right under the law to prosecute law breakers. However,

beneath the edifice of Ato’s predicament is the hypocrisy of the Mills’

administration. I take offense to the government’s position on this issue.

Why all this hypocrisy? When the Nana Darkwa issue came up, the government

quickly came out and swiftly disassociated itself from the actions of the police

so why is the government heavily involved in this case?

What sort of hypocrisy is this? Why is the government interested in this

particular case but not Nana Darkwa case?

Can a threat be investigated if the complainant does not formally lodge a

complaint with the police?

Is it unreasonable to assume the complainants at GREDA are petrified and do not

wish to talk to the Police? Why is a story alleging GREDA members were

threatened for voicing their reservations about the US$ 10 billion STX deal, the

largest such deal in the history of Ghana, seem unbelievable? Why should a story

claiming that GREDA members are receiving threats caused fear and panic? It is

obvious JOY FM and Ato Kwamina Dadzie is being victimized.

Are we to accept that the mere disclosure of a 'source' of a story makes the

story true? Are we also to accept that, the Ghana police have a policy that

states that once the source of a story is revealed then the story is true? Are

we being told that there are no false “sources”? What sort of democracy are we

building for future generations?

I have lost whatever respect I have for President Mills. I expected a lot better

from his presidency. Why all these blunders? Is he actually in charge? Isn’t it

a shame that national resources would be spent on intimidating journalists?

This is a fickle-minded and knee-jerk reaction of the police as well as the

“string-pulling” of faceless, not-so-brave politicians who want to curtail press

freedom. The action of the police is absolute gibberish and they must bow down

their heads in remorseless shame! What kind of world do Ghanaians live in?

Inasmuch as we may disagree with Ato Kwamina Dadzie and joy FM with their style

of reporting, we cannot be seen to be endorsing this kind of tyranny on the

excuse of “causing fear and alarm”. It is becoming increasingly clear that the

government is intolerant to dissenting views.

I really can't believe the "stupidity" of certain people in authority. This is

not about the motives of Ato Kwamina Dadzie or anyone else. This is about press

freedom and government interference. If indeed a law has been broken why the CID

headquarters not the normal process of having someone charged at a local police

station? This just goes to show the case is being handled at a very high level.

What is the value of political pluralism if citizens cannot express their

thoughts on national issues that affect their daily experiential? Where is

freedom of speech when today’s rulers equate information dissemination with

crime and hound media practitioners as their enemies? Why is it acceptable, for

some government functionaries and ministers of state, to make reckless statement

on air, yet see the scrutiny of their policies by journalists, as a taboo?

Despite the façade of constitutional democracy, many Ghanaians are aware of

backdoor attempts to criminalize speech in this political dispensation.

Atta Mills is actually not in charge. Mills' governance patterns are worse of

all and are blighted by his penchant for vindictiveness. He is so intolerant

that he prefers putting up educated illiterates to defend his gross incompetence

to fixing our deflationary economy.

It really saddens me to know that despite our pretensions most of us just do not

understand democracy in the least. Whether or not you agree with the views of

Ato Kwamina Dadzie is irrelevant. There are many journalists with whom I do not

and cannot agree. However, press freedom and democracy mean that anyone should

be free to say what is on their mind. If a journalist makes a libelous statement

he or she can be taken to task through the appropriate channels and not the

politically motivated process currently taking place in Ghana.

Journalists have to continue to report what they hear, and they should generally

be able to do that without being intimidated into revealing their sources since

as a society that is the only way in which sensitive matters come to light. All

Ghanaians should see that they have a vested interest in this brouhaha, and

should act to protect the right to keep “sources” identities secret. Ghanaians

must let the government know that they won't tolerate any attempt to intimidate

the media. Some of us knew that it will come to this. We had heard worst

statements that could cause fear and panic, what did the police administration

do about it. They should give us a break.

From all indications, our nation democracy is failing. Our speech-democracy is

manipulative. It extorts universal obedience with promises of gifts. It takes

away human agency from the grassroots, and makes puppets out of elated party

supporters. While we are told that we are all equal before the law, the Ghanaian

criminal justice system does not hesitate to trample on people’s right base on

archaic laws of “causing fear and alarm”.

While the nation’s media has played a very useful role in building a workable

democracy, it must continue to be seen as a credible partner. The media must

also trade political subjectivity for objectivity, and restores society’s sight

to see the brazen injustices in our democracy. Rather than allowing itself to

become a profit-generating machine, the media must help to build a civil society

that is committed to the greater good of our nation. The media must take to

debating, and critiquing, policies that are central to national development and

universal enlightenment. While some media houses may think that they are

insulated from the bitter experiences of the public, their indifference to

defending the truth will only encourage wrongdoers to benefit from their

transgressions.

We cannot move forward in the needed direction if we lack cardinal virtues such

as discretion, temperance, fortitude, decency, tolerance and so forth.

Ato Kwamina Dadzie and Joy FM must continue with their watchdog role and they

must also reassert themselves as the ally of the people. This way our democracy

will grow.

We shall be back!

Emmanuel Dela Coffie

www.delacoffie.wordpress.com