Journalism provides something unique to a culture, independent, reliable, accurate, objective and comprehensive information that citizens require to be free. A journalism that is asked to provide something other than that subverts democratic culture, and must be condemned.
The definition of journalism has been exploded by technology. The purpose of journalism is NOT defined by technology, or by journalists, or the technology they employ, but the principles and purpose of journalism are defined by something more interesting and important. That is the function that NEWS plays in the lives of he people.
Journalists must be loyal to the citizens, and maintain an independence from those they cover.
They must serve as an independent monitor of power. Independent journalists must be fair, objective and balanced.
As stake, is whether as citizens, we have access to independent information that makes it possible for us to take part in governing ourselves. Democracy is about the rule of law and fundamental human rights, freedom of expressing and association to promote pluralism of ideas. There are several newspapers whose editors are the high priests of democracy but at the same time work against its institution by attacking personalities instead of principles, they publish malicious articles against their political opponents and refusing to publish rejoinders at a time the 1992 creates room for mandatory rejoinders in the constitution of Ghana. The ends of justice cannot be served by a press trial where the lips of the accused are sealed, because his REJOINDER to the particular NEWS OUTLET or paper accusing him would never be published which is NOT FAIR at all. THE CASE OF KOFI APPIAH I have never known or heard about Mr. Kofi Appiah who read my article in the Ghana web, and went ahead to condemn me to the extent of even putting words in my mouth, as well as questioning my qualification and added that a political party does not need security services to win elections, I never stated that the NDC needed the security services to intimidate voters in 2012. He talked about economic hardships, armed robbery and corruption by NDC officials as well as the government of President Mills. He was reacting to an earlier article I posted on Ghana web entitled NDC in power , But NPP is in control’’ The security implications etc, I never stated that Ghanaians are cowards. However, I duely sent a detailed REJOINDER to Ghana web features column, only to read in the same outlet that they cannot publish my article because they DON’T PUBLISH REJOINDERS. And I was very shocked to read what they published, because that article was NOT libelous at all, and yet I always read WORSE articles written by many people on Ghana web, why reject my simple rejoinder to Kofi Appiah who boldly wrote that ‘’Clement, come Again” I have actually come again, so duely publish it for Kofi Appiah and the whole world to hear my side of the story and Don’t seal my mouth at all because it is my constitutional right to demand that my rejoinders is published in Ghana web and I disagree with them for stating that they don’t publish rejoinders, because people always write articles and you ask for comments from the general public and that is fair, so do it. I sincerely hope officials of Ghana web would re-consider their unconstitutional decision and publish my rejoinder to Kofi Appiah in order to set the record straight.
I hope you will all co-operate.
CLEMENT SANGAPAREE OBUASI. DISTRIBUTION ALL MEDIA HOUSE ACCRA/ GHANA
