Stephen Odoi-Larbi, Linda Akrasi and Isaac Kwetey
2 November 2009
Accra — The Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament and a Member of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr. John Akologu Tia, has expressed dissatisfaction over the government's inability to pay the allowances of members of the Commission, which have accrued over the last ten months.
"For ten months, the allowances meant to motivate members of the NMC, has still not been paid," he noted.
This, he said, had affected the smooth operations of the NMC, in the area of sittings to discuss issues on media operations in the country.
He was however of the firm belief that the government would speed up in allocating financial resources to settle all outstanding debts owed members of the commission.
Mr. John Tia, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Talensi, was speaking at a two-day sensitisation workshop organised for media practitioners drawn from Parliament, the Volta and Eastern regions over the weekend.
It was under the theme, "A vibrant media - a tool for accelerated development," and was sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Topics treated for the two-day program included upholding ethics in journalism for effective reporting, the law and journalists, sensitising the citizenry on good governance, and Parliament's perception of the media.
The workshop was aimed at equipping journalists with the requisite knowledge in ensuring higher journalistic standards in the country.
He was however worried that the Commission, in the discharge of its duties, had no powers to sanction journalists and media houses that flout the rules and regulations governing the profession in the country.
He therefore urged the NMC to make an input when the Constitution is being reviewed, to make it powerful in the administration of its duties. That not withstanding, Mr. Tia urged media practitioners to focus more on development-oriented issues that would help the country achieve her target under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), rather than sensational stories which have the tendency to plunge the country into chaos.
"Sensationalism no doubt sells, but this only within the short term. When society begins to feel that as media men and women, or as media houses, we are overly sensational, they will switch to other social media for their information," he said. According to him, the country was bedeviled with a lot of challenges in the areas of water, healthcare, child and maternal mortality, education and gender inequality, among others, but he was surprised that very few of the issues were highlighted or featured prominently in the newspapers, radio and television.
"I am not implying that corrupt politicians should not be exposed, but simply emphasising the imbalance in our reportage, and to indicate that such an imbalance does not help accelerate the development we are all yearning for. For the development agenda to be accelerated, all aspects of the MDGs framework need to be given equal prominence," he noted, adding, "these should be our focus, if we are to leverage the power we have to accelerate the development of this country."
The Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr. Affail Monney, on his part, urged media owners to improve on the remuneration of their reporters, adding that better conditions of service would make them responsible journalists in the discharge of their duties.
He advised journalists to avoid selective or one-sided reporting, as it creates an information overload in society, leading to disputes among the citizenry, adding "Objectivity is the pureness level of the profession."
The Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps, Mr. Edwin Arthur, reiterated the need for journalists to be responsible in the discharge of their duties. "Quack journalism can serve as a recipe in bringing disaster, as has happened in other countries. Irresponsible journalism can set the entire nation on fire," he said, and therefore advised journalists to exercise circumspection in their reportage, in a manner that would promote democracy in the country.
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