Journalists are supposed to remain truthful and neutral in their reportage of political issues
From empirical observations, some Ghanaian journalists are not only unprofessional in the discharge of their journalistic duties but are also, conspicuously unpatriotic. A journalist is to report cases as they are, and as they unfold, without distortions to suit their selfish aspirations. However in Ghana, some or most of the journalists, especially the radio programme presenters, owing to their political inclinations culminating in their selfish quest to enrich themselves illegally, come across as unethical and unpatriotic.
Where and when do they come across as unprofessional? In their reportage, most of them are not fair. Their political affiliations with certain political parties make them obviously appear biased. They become selective when granting phone-in airtime to their listeners to contribute their views towards the topic of discussion. They cut short a caller who does not share their view while granting more time to those who side with their political views no matter how irresponsible the views may be. This is an undeniable fact!
The journalists like any other human beings may have their feelings and inclinations. There is nothing wrong about it; but in the course of their programmes they had better maintain neutrality and at worst side with the expressed idea that seeks the collective betterment of Ghanaians.
Sensible journalists can in a clever way, and are better placed, to educate the public on certain issues of national interest. Nonetheless, some Ghana journalists for the achievement of their parochial interests will do otherwise if by so doing will catapult them into the sphere of attaining their hidden agendas. This was what pertained under the former President John Dramani Mahama’s NDC-led government.
Upon all the previous government’s clear acts of corruption, cronyism, practice of selective justice, nepotism and seeming advancement of ethnical divide and rule tactics, we had some journalists that were shamelessly supportive of the President and his government.
Does the bible not say what does it profit a man if he gains the wealth of the whole world and loses his life? Why can’t our journalists be patriotic for once but always allow the quest for quick buck to cloud their rationality as human beings?
Now, the NPP-led government of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo amid all the economic mess and lack of finances coupled with the huge national and international debts left behind by President Mahama, are trying hard to implement the good poverty-alleviating policies promised to Ghanaians during the 2016 electioneering campaign. The President has introduced the free Senior High School education as he promised.
With the introduction of any such gigantic policy, the first of its kind in the world where students have everything free, there will surely be teeming challenges. Whether this education intervention by the government came at the right time or not, it has been implemented to the admiration of many a Ghanaian, both rich and poor.
Education develops the minds of the citizenry intellectually. Therefore, it enhances the development of a nation’s human resources to develop and build their nation socio-politico-economically. What then is wrong about such a bold stride by the government to make Ghanaians feel proud of themselves as human beings who can be counted as such without being derided by our contemporary Whites as being hollow-minded beggars as we are currently truly are?
Instead of all being supportive of the government to overcome both the perceived and unperceived problems now confronting the implemented policy, some of the journalists have joined the chorus of the short-sighted NDC faithful infatuated with culmination malevolence of “pull him down” to gleefully predict the failure of the free SHS policy.
Such journalists must be ashamed of themselves. They should rather be using their programmes to admonish Ghanaians to bear with the government while it finds time to fine-tune things as the policy is for the good of both the individuals and the nation.
Where is your patriotism, Ghanaian journalists, if you failed to educate the masses on the benefits to accrue to them in the end if they became a bit patient with the government to resolve the detected problems confronting the free SHS policy instead of siding with the myopic NDC saboteurs who as selfish as they are, do not wish Ghanaians the acquirement of better en mass education?
As some of the journalists walk with their stomach, gluttons and insatiably greedy as they are, they will always side with the NDC where they hope to line their pockets with huge free money.
The media can make a great difference to ensure the success of the free SHS same as they solidly threw their weight behind President Akfuo-Addo, Ghana’s modern day biblical Joseph, Moses or David, in his fight against galamsey to rescue Ghana’s ecology from destruction by both natives and foreigners e.g. the Chinese.
In order not to sound incoherent as my eyes are getting heavy with sleep, I shall end here to come back with robust reprimand of Ghanaian journalists and radio stations if they failed to change for the better.
Yes, I do appreciate their programmes where they bring on medical doctors, lawyers and other experts to help the Ghanaian public. Nonetheless, their fondness for siding with the NDC to bring about the failure of the free SHS is what pisses me off.
The fake journalists know themselves. They had better change to show a bit of patriotism in them by persuading Ghanaians to bear with the President while he finds his feet to resolve not only the problems facing the free SHS education but also, the numerous other problems confronting the nation.
The ball is in the court of the journalists.
