Who Cares About The Journalist?

The

desire to get something done should go beyound the mere fact of what one

stand to get out it but the neccesity of the need for the thing to be

done.I know many peolple may argue about the fact that what we do should

be as a result of the passion for it but the fact still remain with us

that many do and will continue to do what they do due to its economic

benefit and many of those in the practice of journalism are not left

out.

It

is important for us to note that journalism is one of the worlds oldest

professions and it is based on this knowledge that everyone can pick a

pen and paper and write anything and some speak into a microphone

without due recourse to the law however since society does not exist in

isolation,there is the need for ethics and principles to guide what we

do but not to curb what the journalist does.Many

of them just like their counter parts in other professions such as law,

medicine, engineering, teaching and so on have mouths to feed hence the

aggravating necessity to seriously take into consideration how they

feed those mouths.Most

of them spend four good years in school studying one course or the

other, some two years that is when you are fortunate enough to pass

through the nations biggest journalism training university that is Ghana

Institute of Journalism (GIJ) or better still few with elementary level

certificates but don't forget some have even gone to do their masters

with renowned universities such as Cardiff and Leeds in the UK but the

story is still the same. While

many live on what is termed as "SOLI" or solidarity, others live

solely on a minimum of 100 gh cedis to a maximum of 400 gh cedis i know

that does not deserve the word maximum but that is what they call it. I

know some may say it is not bad at all but i may disagree not because i

belong to such a noble profession but because the fact is that for any

action there should be an equal and opposite reaction.Nobody is saying

or trying to insinuate that journalists should be treated like semi gods

but like normal and genuine citizens who strive to make genuine

earnings through their service to the nation. No

matter our individual perceptions about some journalist and how they

carry out their duties,we ca not reconcile it with the fact that there

is a an iota of dot in every perfectionist.

The

important of the media in every mechanical or organic society cannot be

over emphasized and many have written to espoused their views on it and

i do not want to pretend to be pouring water on a stone.The definition

of democratic society can not be done well or better without the tip of

the pen or the head of the microphone.Some

of us finds it very difficult to believe if indeed it is true that the

media is the fourth estate or it is just a deliberate academic blunder

calculated to throw dust into the eyes of the very serious studious and

observers of political science.There is absolutely little or no effort

by us as a country to deal with one critical arm of the state and hard i

know they say always come at last. My

people used to say that when your neighbors house is on fire it is just

appropriate you get water by your side.We are exposed to how through

the actions and in actions of the media a once united society like

Rwanda became a divided one who has to endure a civil war for some

time.One does not hope for that in this country but deliberately

ignoring simple and little things like how the journalist survives can

lead to irresponsible media and you don't need a soothsayer to tell you

what that can lead to.The

importance of the recent call by the Ghana Journalists Association to

get a bargaining certificate for its members can not be ignored since

that move at least would pomp some sense of serenity into the profession

and it will go along way to portray a picture of decency to those who

wish to join this noble profession but do not trust its economic

prowess.

NATHANIEL MENSAH NIIEQUAYE@YAHOO.CO.UK/WWW.NATMENSAH.BLOGSPOT.COM

THE AUTHOR IS THE S.R.C VICE PRESIDENT OF GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM