Our Final Thoughts On Ghanaian Journalism 3

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Adongo Tongo 11 years ago

Please explain the copious references to the "we" in your writings. Who are your partners?

By the way, have you ever graded your writing skills and find out how you come across to your readers? I’m not sure I’m among ...
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Please explain the copious references to the "we" in your writings. Who are your partners?

By the way, have you ever graded your writing skills and find out how you come across to your readers? I’m not sure I’m among your intended target audience of your writings.

In this particular essay, you used:
4,682 words
27,702 characters
42 paragraphs
8 pages
164 sentences

I also tested your essay’s ease of readability using Flesch Reading Ease test. This test rates text on a 100-point scale. The higher the score, the easier it is to understand the document. For most documents, you want the score to be between 60 and 70. Your score was 10. It means that majority of your readers don’t understand your writings.
I also used the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test the educational of your target audience. This test rates text on a U.S. school grade level. For example, a score of 8.0 means that an eighth grader can understand the document. For most document, good writers aim for a score of approximately 7.0 to 8.0. Your Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score was 18.8. It means you will have to be a doctoral candidate in order to understand your piece. If your target audience is that class of people, then I guess you are using the wrong platform to reach out to them. Certainly, I’m not one of them.
HAHAHAHAHA 11 years ago

Adongo Tongo, that Kwarteng guy writes to assuage his self esteem which is very low.

Adongo Tongo, that Kwarteng guy writes to assuage his self esteem which is very low.
Kowadis 11 years ago

Ghanaweb is his convenient
"doctoral, verbal-mentrual depository"!

Ghanaweb is his convenient
"doctoral, verbal-mentrual depository"!
Jones 11 years ago

I wonder why Francis Akoto (Ghanaweb) keeps on publishing the senseless (ZERO) articles from that Kwarteng guy.

I wonder why Francis Akoto (Ghanaweb) keeps on publishing the senseless (ZERO) articles from that Kwarteng guy.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Jones,

Have I usurped your space with my useless article?

If I had, then look for another space.

I am sorry!

Jones,

Have I usurped your space with my useless article?

If I had, then look for another space.

I am sorry!
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Kowadis,

Another commentator here says I have a bloated ego, blowing my horns.

And you are saying I have an inferiority complex!

Which of you is correct? How do I reconcile the two? No human being can be both. Help ...
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Kowadis,

Another commentator here says I have a bloated ego, blowing my horns.

And you are saying I have an inferiority complex!

Which of you is correct? How do I reconcile the two? No human being can be both. Help me choose one.

Thanks.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Dear Adongo Tongo,

Thanks for your comments. I shall continue to write such articles until the editor refuses to publish them. One of my series (one "Our Final Thoughts On Ghanaian Journalism," the other "A New Direction f ...
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Dear Adongo Tongo,

Thanks for your comments. I shall continue to write such articles until the editor refuses to publish them. One of my series (one "Our Final Thoughts On Ghanaian Journalism," the other "A New Direction for Ghanaian Journalism) fell under the most "shared" and "ten popular" rubrics on Modernghana.

Adongo Tongo, you may want to pick up a good book on critical reading skills and reading techniques to improve your reading abilities if you think you have a problem grasping simple, straighfoward articles as these. I have used some of these books over the years (you can contact me at Franciskkkwarteng@yahoo.com for some titles).

However, I am happy you don't see yourself as one of my readers. I appreciate your frank admission. am happy no one is forcing you to read under pain of death. A SIMPLE ESSAY OF 4,682 WORDS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO SOME OF THE ARTICLES I HAVE READ ON OTHER NEWS WEBSITES IN THE WEST OR EVEN IN AFRICA (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa).

Unfortunately, the conclusions you reach with your Flesch Reading Ease do not coincide with what my readers (those who dicuss my articles on a daily basis with me say).

It does not say anything about my Modernghana readers who continue to read my "long" articles days, months, and years after they have been archived. And most of those who read my articles don't have PhDs (I am basing these facts on those readers I communicate with), I can assure you of these. Only 7 have PhDs (at least those I personally know).

Besides, writers like Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Wole Soyinka, to name but two, write articles twice as long (and sometimes even longer) for Nigerian and Kenyan news (as as Western) news sites and yet Africans of all classes and educational backgrounds read them.

Of course I am not saying I am Thiong'o or Soyinka. I AM NOT. And the topics they write on are more complicated than what I publish here. The point is that if , say on one ethnic group insulting another ethnic group, or where I allege President Mahama and Ibrahim Mahama had menage-a-trios with our drug Cleopatra, Nayele Ametefeh, I bet you most readers would thank me. The commentary would probably be endless.

Then again, pick up a copy of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, the Boston Globe (let me just mention 4; visit their websites) and you will find many articles there as long or twice as long as mine, yet Americans (and non-Americans) of all socioeconomic and educational backgrounds read them. Read the kinds of educated comments American readers leave behind. I have not seen ONE COMMENT complaing about the lengths of articles (show me one if you visit these websites).

What is more, I (and some of my Ghanaian, Nigerian, Kenyan friends) read some of these long articles while I attended school full-time and worked six days a week.

On the other hand I do not fault those who complain about the length of articles. Our society does not encourage a culture of reading, not to talk of serious or critical reading.

We are not taught reading techniques such as "scheming" and photoreading among other others. Thus you can't blame for the failures of our educational system. You will be surprised how fast American kids read. I have taught some of these.

Yet I have the editors of Opinion Ghana, Modernghana, and Spyghana thanking and encouraging me to produce more of such articles for their readers (write to them for confirmation). Modernghana readers, for instance, continue to read my articles weeks, months, and years long after they have been archived. And yet I see more serious publications on Modernghanan than on Ghanaweb.

Further, readers from places as far as California (sofware engineers, etc) had written to Roger A. Agana, the editor of Spyghana, asking for my email to further discuss some of my artcles. I have been communicating with some of these readers ever since.

Surprisingly Agana had to block my accounts about a month or so ago because he claimed I was publishing my articles on other portals before publishing them on Spyghana. I had to explain myself to him before he finally agreed to give me access to my accounts. Why aren't Spyghana or Modernghana readers complaining? Are many of their readers not Ghanaians?

Finally, you will be surprised if I give you privileged information on the educational backgrounds of some of my close friends who read my artcles (but mostly don't leave comments on Ghanaweb). Some did not go past O'Level. Your Flesch Reading Ease is lazy and does not speak for most of my readers.

Please skip articles you think are not your taste. I do this myself all the time. There are even some Ghanaweb columnists I don't read. I skip them whenever I see their artcles. The point is that I hardly pick up any useful information from their articles. I do the same when I visit non-Ghanaian portals.

No one forces me to read what I don't want to read!

Thank you!
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 11 years ago

Good answer to a nincompoop whose brain is in lock mode on Flesch!

Good answer to a nincompoop whose brain is in lock mode on Flesch!
Adongo Tongo 11 years ago

We have all these politicians both on the left and the right always parading their titles. Look at the mess they have created in the motherland. So attorney Sas, I'm not a nincompoop. My greatest title is being called Daddy a ...
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We have all these politicians both on the left and the right always parading their titles. Look at the mess they have created in the motherland. So attorney Sas, I'm not a nincompoop. My greatest title is being called Daddy and not academic degrees.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Dear Brother Adongo Tongo,

Dr. SAS is a father too!

Adongo Tongo, which part of the American and Ghanaian Constitution does it say citizens cannot call themselves names and titles they prefer?

Leave Dr. SAS alone an ...
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Dear Brother Adongo Tongo,

Dr. SAS is a father too!

Adongo Tongo, which part of the American and Ghanaian Constitution does it say citizens cannot call themselves names and titles they prefer?

Leave Dr. SAS alone and deal with the real issues. Please go back and read your comments under "Here you go again!" You are trying to inject titles, employment history (federal and state), and ethnocentrism into our discussions.

What has my article got to do with your Northern ancestry, employment history, and what have you!

Dr. SAS is the fiercest critic of ethnocentrism on this platform! No columnist comes close.

Please leave Dr. SAS alone.

Thanks.

Michael Adu 11 years ago

Francis,your defence of that conceited and irrational tribal bigot called Dr SAS is rather laughable.For your information,Dr SAS and Justice Sarpong are the two outstanding ethnocentric idiots on this forum.All their articles ...
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Francis,your defence of that conceited and irrational tribal bigot called Dr SAS is rather laughable.For your information,Dr SAS and Justice Sarpong are the two outstanding ethnocentric idiots on this forum.All their articles and comments on this clearly indicate their bizarre nature.
Michael Adu 11 years ago

All their articles and comments on this forum,clearly indicate their bizarre nature.

All their articles and comments on this forum,clearly indicate their bizarre nature.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Dear Michael Adu,

I know Dr. SAS and Justice Sarpong don't agree with Nkrumah and his leadership style.

But that is far from associating their anti-Nkrumahism with ethnocentrism,
particularly in the case of Dr. SAS.I ...
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Dear Michael Adu,

I know Dr. SAS and Justice Sarpong don't agree with Nkrumah and his leadership style.

But that is far from associating their anti-Nkrumahism with ethnocentrism,
particularly in the case of Dr. SAS.I do know for a fact Dr. SAS is ethnocentric, though Justice Sarpong is. We may call Dr. SAS anti-nkrumah. But saying he's ethnocentric is off the mark!

Maybe I arrive at a different understanding of issues when I read Dr. SAS's articles arguing against ethnocentrism. Have you taken a look at Dr. SAS's "The Anatomy of the Ethnocentric Beast?"

Indeed I have had several conversations with him on this very question and he is why I have written several articles on Ghanaweb (and elsewhere) to attack ethnocentrism. I can't say the same of Justice Sarpong.

Finally, Brother Adongo Tongo tried to use "tribalism" and titles and employment history (private/federal) to critique my article when my article is not about titles, tribalism, and employment history.

My point is this: Why does Brother Adongo Tongo say Dr. SAS loves titles when he invokes titular images in discusing my article? Double standards. I am not defending Dr. SAS.I am merely calling attention to Brother Adongo Tongo's duplicity!

Have a great week.

Thanks.
Adongo Tongo 11 years ago

Francis Kwarteng,
You made a big mistake. You don't know who I'm and what I do for living. I've lived in the US for more than 30 years. I've subscribed to the Washington Post, NY Times and the WSJ since 1985. I live in Was ...
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Francis Kwarteng,
You made a big mistake. You don't know who I'm and what I do for living. I've lived in the US for more than 30 years. I've subscribed to the Washington Post, NY Times and the WSJ since 1985. I live in Washington DC and have worked both in the private sector and the federal government. None of your articles will ever be published in any of those papers. Getting your article published as is, in non-edited platforms like Ghanaweb, ModernGhana, does not connote academic brilliance. My name may be Adongo Tongo and I don't go around calling myself Ing. Adongo Tongo, or Attorney Adongo Tongo, or Dr. Adongo Tongo, or Prof. Adongo. I prefer to go by my simple name, Adongo Tongo. I'm Adongo Tongo from the North and I'm damn proud of it.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Dear Brother dongo Tongo,

Let me say this before continuing: I am not going to prrofread this response to you. I hardly do this (even with my articles meant for publication on Ghanaweb, etc). Usually I edit some of my arti ...
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Dear Brother dongo Tongo,

Let me say this before continuing: I am not going to prrofread this response to you. I hardly do this (even with my articles meant for publication on Ghanaweb, etc). Usually I edit some of my articles on (Spyghana, Modernganana) where columnists have direct access to their articles. I do this when I have the time (because I sometimes write two or three articles the same time per day). Thus, all errors, grammatical or otherwise, are solely mime!

You don't have to call ourself a Dr. or Prof. to make any impact on me. And you do not have to live in Washington DC to make your case stronger? I don't care what you do for a living because I don't recall the last time you fed me, put clothes on me, paid my phone bill, or bought newspapers and books for me to read!

Neither do you have work in the private and federal sectors to make sense. Do you have any clues where I have worked in the US? And besides, I hardly spend quality time proofreading my articles. Don't you see the tons of grammatical mistakes when you read my comments?

I don't relate to people based on their titles. You should have known by now that I am not impressed by title. I am surprised you had to write:

"My name may be Adongo Tongo and I don't go around calling myself Ing. Adongo Tongo, or Attorney Adongo Tongo, or Dr. Adongo Tongo, or Prof. Adongo. I prefer to go by my simple name, Adongo Tongo."

Who cares? Do I go about preaching about my titles on Ghanaweb? Do you think I eat titles? Come to my place of abode and see where I have kept all by deegress and certificates: Under my bed!

You didn't have to write:

"I'm Adongo Tongo from the North and I'm damn proud of it."

And who knows if I don't have ancetries from the North, Upper West, Upper East, Volta Region, and other parts of the country? What you and I are talking about have nothing to do with our educational backgrounds, employment histories, and ethnicities. Read the following articles written by me (and published here on Ghanaweb):

1)Leave Tsatsu Tsikata Alone (1/11)

2) A Tribute to Prof. Kofi Awoonor

3) The Poison Ivy of Ethnocentrism: Prof. Kofi Awoonor Asks To Be Left Alone

Also read all my articles on Afrocentricity. I am one of the few columnists who have consistently written against "tribalism," political ethnocentrism, etc. Nothing I have said in my response to you has anything to do with your ethicity. You should point that out to me if I did and I will apologize. I have great respect for all ethnicities.

Now back to my concerns about your position:

Like I said elsewhere, I subscribed to the New York Times for more than 8 years. I did the same with the New Yorker. I also had journalist friends who worked with the New York Times (as an investigative journalist). His name is Milton Allimadi (Author: 'The Heart of Darkness: How White Writers Created the Racist Image of Africa).

As of this writing, I still have exceedingly long neewspaper articles taken from the New York Times and which I have kept in my private library for so many years, newspaper clippings whose topical indulgences have piqued my interest! I have done same with US News & Report, the Boston Globe (I did the same with the Boston Globe when I lived in Massachussets), etc.

In other words, I have devoured literally hundreds of articles from the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, the New Yorker, etc. I will not add scholarly articles from peer-reviewed from around the world.

Of course none of the portals (Ghanaweb, Modernghana, Spyghana, Myjoyonline, Opionon Ghana, etc) is a serious. Yet some of the readers I have become friends through these portals rersent some of the profundest thinkers in the world.

I have profiled one or two on this platform. One or two serve on the editorial boards of academic journalists here in the US. YOU MAY TRY READING SOME OF THESE SCHOLARS WHOSE PROFILE YOU CAN FIND ON GHANAWEB.Let me also add that I have also helped friends write their dissertaion/thesis. I have edited tons of essays by friends that eventually ended up published in different American-based peer-reviewed journals. Therefore, I know what it entails in writing pieces for peer-reviewed journals. It is one of the easiest tasks on the planet!

But, when all is said and done,I have 7 PhDs, all American professors, and a Southern African-based Ghanaian English/Economics professor who read my articles regularly. As ofd this writing, I am editing an English textbook for a professor (I will not mention his name here on this platform). We hope to publish the book here when I am done.

Three of these professors use my articles to teach tuniversity students in America.These are not issues I would have loved to discuss on Ghanaweb.You know why? I hate drawing attention to private matters.

Last but not least, I had a brief working relationship with some of the editors of Huffington Post, probably the largest online media platform! Book reviews were part of the partnership! I also have friends who sit on the editorial boardsof some of America's most prestigious journals and newspapers (book reviews). Thus, I know what saying when it comes to book reviews, and the like.

Finally, you may want to send me an email(franciskkwarteng@yahoo.com) and I shall share with you how many international peer-reviewed journals (most of these journals are based here in the US) have sent me formal invitations on their editorial boards or publish my articles.You may then contact them and share the information with Ghanaweb readers.

These peer-reviewed journals deal with literature, science and technology, critical race theory, public health, and several other topics most of which I had dealt with Ghanaweb and elsewhere.

Please try to make the conversation purely intellectual. Don't bring emotional and ethnic sentiments. This is why Ghanaweb is not such a healthy place for vigorous academic exercise. It's alll about "tribalism," raw emotions, etc. Again don't bring in titles. I read your comments without thinking about the titles you may have. They mean nothing to me. I have dealt with scholars who have 2 PhDs, etc. We have related not on the basis of titles but on what each of us can bring to the table of constructive ideas!I am not intimidated by titles or whether you are the American President, or the head of the CIA and the FBI.

Let me assure that if I have to write for a peer-reviewed journal, you won't see what I publish here on Ghanaweb and other Ghanaian portals. I have enough technical skills and orthographic diversity to write to fit any platform, scholarly or othersie. I assure of this!

Thanks, Brother Adongo Tongo.
K.G. 11 years ago

Who at all is this Francis Kwarteng blowing his horn as if he owns the whole of America? Oh! my Gosh!
Is is the only Ghanaian scholar in USA?

Who at all is this Francis Kwarteng blowing his horn as if he owns the whole of America? Oh! my Gosh!
Is is the only Ghanaian scholar in USA?
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

K.G.

You see, this is why Adongo Tongo should not have asked the questions he asked.

My response has nothing to do with anybody being a scholar or owning America. If you don't want certain answers, don't ask certain qu ...
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K.G.

You see, this is why Adongo Tongo should not have asked the questions he asked.

My response has nothing to do with anybody being a scholar or owning America. If you don't want certain answers, don't ask certain questions.

Unfortunately I could not have answered your question otherwise. I have said there are certaing things I don't want to discuss on Ghanaweb. Some with inferiority complex might think one is boasting.

I have given you my email address. There so may things I could say to you which I can't on Ghanaweb. Keep to the Adongo Tongo moniker. K.G. does not fit.

Thanks.
Kelly 11 years ago

The writer is only misusing space with his baseless lengthy write up.

The writer is only misusing space with his baseless lengthy write up.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Kelly,

Have I misused your space?

Please find another space you think I have misused your space.

I am sorry because I did not do this on purpose.

Anyway Part 4 is coming! Make sure your protect your space before ...
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Kelly,

Have I misused your space?

Please find another space you think I have misused your space.

I am sorry because I did not do this on purpose.

Anyway Part 4 is coming! Make sure your protect your space before your mind misuse it.

Thanks.

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Our Final Thoughts On Ghanaian Journalism 3

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