Is SOLI The New Toli?

As generally understood in Ghana, SOLI is a term used to describe the practice whereby Journalists who go to cover an event are offered cash by the event organizers as a token of their (Event Organizers) appreciation. SOLI is supposedly coined from the word “SOLIdarity”.

In most parts of the World where corruption levels are considered as being relatively low, the practice known in Ghana as “soli” would be seen not only as a strange practice but as a form of bribery.

Handing out marketing and/or promotional materials and memorabilia at promotional events and seminars is not unusual. But to hand out cash is unusual by most standards including Ghana’s. Even more unusual and disconcerting is where the Event Organizers are State Agencies and the monies are Public Funds.

Public funds should be spent with the utmost circumspection with tangible, traceable or accountable benefits for the tax payer.

Some have explained away “soli” as something not mainstream but done only to encourage and support relatively junior and poorly-remunerated Journalists. The question is: where does this end?

The “soli” of GHC 500 (US$ 130) to a Junior Journalist can easily translate into “soli” in the form of a car, frequent trips aboard the Presidential Jet, a house, a plum job or US$ 50,000 to the Senior and influential Journalist.

Is it any wonder then why some once very vociferous Journalists who were extremely critical of a particular government all of a sudden barely whisper any criticism or condemnation of another government in the face of even more things to be critical of, at least in the thinking of some. Could SOLI cause once loud voices of Senior Journalists to drop to a whisper?

The English have a saying that “take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”. Perhaps if some Ghanaian governments will stop giving small change of GHC 500 apiece to Junior Journalists openly, they will not have to give gifts of GHC 50,000 to Senior and influential Journalists in secret. And Ghana may be spared yet another trip to the IMF.

Some Ghanaians Journalists, thankfully, see “soli” as unethical and have refused it. These Journalists believe that “soli” is a violation of the spirit of Article 3 (Professional Integrity) of the Code of Ethics of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). Article 3 (Professional Integrity) of the GJA Code states:

Journalists should not accept bribe or any form of inducement to influence the performance of their professional duties.

According to a December 25, 2012 article written by Senior Journalist Lydia Warren of the Daily Mail, after each trip aboard Air Force One by journalists, their respective news organizations are billed by the Air Force for the price of a comparable commercial first class ticket plus a dollar. In Ghana, and as alluded to earlier, some Journalists may get this priviledge aboard the Presidential Plane as a form of “soli”.

Is “soli” undermining the quality and integrity of press reportage? Is “soli” as practiced giving us “toli” by way of news? Should the Mahama Administration be encouraging the “soli”practice as enthusiastically as they are doing.

Yaanom Abibirimma, can Ghana not do better than this?

NPP Canada Communication Team

NPPCanada@outlook.com

Tel: 587-708-9915 / 647-800-3585