Sunday, December 7, 2014

MEDIA HOUSES IN GHANA ARE COLLAPSING DUE TO FALSE PUBLICATIONS

In the world no man has survived solely doing his own thing without the help of others.As a musician needs the help of a sound engineer before he can produce a song, like the BIG SIX helped Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to achieve independence for Ghana . The noble peace prize winner President Nelson Mandela before he succeded great number of people including the likes of , former president of South Africa Thabo Mbeki and Archibishop Desmond Tutu helped him in diverse ways. On this note I issue this great and most awaited ,article on media houses in Ghana today are collapsing due to false stories,acccording to the media elite governing journalism, Journalist are suppose to broadcast the truth and stories which are of the public interest and not gossips "i mean false alarming only to create tension, panic and fear", Notwithstanding the facts that,the duties of journalists is to educate, inform, and entertain the public. In this way trying to inform the public has been nothing to write home about. SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT Since Adam time I know journalists are developing partners and also in Ghana here the third power holders. There are about twenty_ nine(29) media houses including print media, television stations and the radio stations only in the Greater_Accra Region of Ghana. Many media houses has helped improved the country Ghana, but in recent times has been ablast of false stories . In order not to raise alarms of fear and panic let set our minds back around September_October 2010 the then Tema based radio station Adom Fm broadcasted a news about a one woman called Amina Mohammed and Yutun bus. which Amina claimed that, there was a mass robbery in the bus and a mass rape, which up till now, it has not be confirmed how true that story was. Barely, three years ago, Mr. Adakaberi Frimpong Manso affectionately called (Ozuama Mamudu) the host of the morning show "dwaso n'sem" on Adom Fm that time, said there was an extension of President J.E.A Mills resident at Reggie Manuel Estate and that it was the country's which was supporting such project which turn out all to be lies. According to the Media Foundation for West Africa(MFWA) and National Communication Authority(NCA) structures has been put in place for any misreportage by any media house in the West Africa Metropolis but that has even brought more problems than before. During the 2012 elections fm stations like Oman Fm,in Accra and Ash Fm in Kumasi was denied access to air for a number of false stories aired by these fm stations which brought caios and tension in the country. Just about a year ago, a private daily news paper in the country called DAILY GUIDE published a one sided false story about the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia popularly called General Mosquito in Ghana politics, Mr.Nketia sued the editors of the news paper Feddie Blay and Eddie Blay, Mr. Nketia won the case which earned him a huge sum of money which he said, he will build a house and write the inscription "KWASIA BI NTI". Besides Van Vicker of the America Boy fame was fasely acccused by one famous online website OMG Ghana that, Van Vicker has contracted the deadly disease Ebola which the actor has prosecuted the website. Along the same time football meastro Michael Essien the AC Milan star was also accused across online website that he has contracted Ebola . Adding insult to injury , some media houses including the likes of Multimedia Group Limited, Despite Group Of Companies, and TV3 Networks turn the nation outside down about the whereabout of popular musician Theophilius Tagoe well known as Castro, when the news hit the media that he has drown in the Ada river a town near Accra and has not be found . Despite Group Of Companies told Ghanaians that, "...Castro has be seen by some Ghanaians along the Togo shores...". TV3 Networks broadcasted,"...Castro has been admitted in a hospital in Togo ...". Multimedia Group Limited aired that,"...we have a secret tape from Togo Police ..." but it later turns out all to be lies. The Ghana Journalist Association, inorder to put end to such news items has an annual awards for hard working journalists in the country. Is my pray that, by 2020 Ghanaian Journalist can be African's best broadcasters as their aim and also best and excellent in professionalism and of communication. I cannot end this article without congratulating great and hardworking journalists like Kwame Sefa Kayi, Kojo Yankson,Isreal Laryea, Jessica Opare, Efia Pokua, Richard Sky, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Menassah Awine Azure, Kweku Baako, Kwesi Pratt Jnr and others pages won't allow me to write their names. To conclude, many media houses have the view that when they publish , aired or broadcast false stories it will attract more listeners , readers and funs. The law of karmar state that, "whatever you does to a fellow will surely be done to you . LET PROMOTE TRUTH AND ACCURACY IN JOURNALISM !