Charles Takyi-Boadu
The recent media encounter by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has generated a needless debate about the issue of whether or not journalists who attended the event were paid some money.
For me, that is not even an issue to start with as the culture of journalism and media practice in Ghana over the years does not frown on that.
More often than not, we all get invited to press conferences and other media events including campaign launches, soirees, manifesto launches, rallies, product launches, and commissioning of projects, and get paid some amounts, sometimes very ridiculous and insulting to our statuses and credibility in the form of honorarium or transportation or as a thank u.
This has come to be known and accepted as 'solidarity' or simply put 'soli' or 'payola' or 'payo' as some choose to call it.
Even though some journalists literally hustle event organisers for soli after programmes, I have always said and maintained the position that journalists are not entitled to it so should not demand it unless given out of will by event organisers.
I have practiced journalism for some 20 years since 2004 and still maintain that position and all who know me can attest to that!
So, I personally don't see anything wrong with the organizers of Dr. Bawumia's encounter offering to give monies be it GH₵20,000, GH₵10,000, or even GH₵500 or GHC₵2,000 to attendees as some have suggested and speculation have become rife in sections of the media since it has become a standard practice.
For me, the issue is whether or not the journalists allow this money to influence their thoughts and decisions.
Well, in this case, I can only speak for myself since my conscience is my guide.
Indeed, I have actually attended several events where I have been given soli after the program and I have still gone ahead to write negative stories against the organisers and others my thoughts changed, and wrote positive stories not cos of the soli but the provision of facts which contradicted my earlier position.
So for me, it is not about the money but the principle and the mindset of the giver and receiver.
I can say with no shred of doubt in my mind that no journalist in this country, and I repeat no journalist or media practitioner in this country, be it radio presenter, deejay, political reporter, sports reporter, entertainment reporter, health reporter, morning show host, drive or brunch time host, investigative journalists or even the religious reporter can ever say he or she has never received or taken soli or payo before since coming into media practice unless that person entered the media space just today.
Can the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and our own colleague journalists who we know too well who attended former President Mahama's media engagement publicly come out and not only beat their dry chests but swear heaven and earth that they were not given any envelopes as a thank u at the end of the engagement?
Anyone who does so at the peril of his conscience and credibility!
So please, spare us these pretentious holier-than-thou sanctimonious sermons on piety when ur hands are equally and actually soiled.
Some of you are even paid to destroy others, including businessmen and politicians for other people's selfish gains, yet you want to claim sainthood. Anokwa!
So, I don't get this whole hullabaloo about journalists being given monies after the Bawumia's media engagement unless any of the supposed journalists who received the money comes out to say he or she was given the money before the start of the programme and was teleguided on what question to ask or what not to ask and what to report and what not to report.
If not, let's stop making a mountain out of a molehill!
That aside, I don't see the head and tail of the argument, unless those complaining are doing so because they were either not invited and are pained that they didn't get some of the soli and have therefore decided to throw stones onto the field of play!
Like the holy book says, let he who is without blemish cast the first stone; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!
Let our conscience be our guide; asalamu alaikum!
