I will like to preface my argument on the words of a former president of Sierra Leone, General Joseph Saidu Momoh when he hold the view that “The journalist with a pen and paper in his hands is like the Soldier with AK47, he can either use it to kill or to defend”.
There are no shortage of people who have discussed the importance of the media in politics, society and the nation’s democracy. However, participation of the media in the Democratic dispensation of Ghana is in midlife crises. Raging from media propaganda coup d’ tat, information hijack and twist among several forms of information suicide and rape of factual events has been on the runway for too long.
On occasions, Ghana’s media do not like to report some news item at all. Especially when such news items are found to be advantageous and beneficial to the ruling National Democratic Congress and their John Mahama led administration.
Today, Ghana’s media does not only serve as a strong propaganda tool of the opposition NPP, it also hunts, gathers and formulate denigrating, awkward and embarrassing news against the John Mahama led NDC administration without regard to how inimical it paints the nation’s reputation home and abroad.
The words of outgoing President of the United States Of America Barrack Obama quickly comes to mind ” Hoping that your Commander In-Chief fails is only a different way of thinking that you are patriotic when you are not”.
A great Greek philosopher once said, “when God wants to destroy a nation, he first makes the leaders mad”. Evident from the fall of the great tower of Babel and how God confused the builders of the tower, we are clear on our minds that Ghana’s media is on a journey to national chaos and disturbance.
Joy multimedia undoubtedly remains chief actors and actresses in the vilifications of information at the political mortgage market. The poignant and agonising impacts of information sabotage against the government of Ghana and President John Dramani Mahama describes a piercing and eerie tale without requiring embellishments either of style or hyperbole. Without reckon to belaboring the facts, these media cabals are in constant subterfuge and shared wanton aggressiveness pointing at;
1. The government build first class roads and the media says good roads will lead to over speeding resulting in accidents.
2. The government build hospitals and media says hospitals are too much in existence.
3. Government provides portable water and the media says we need food not water.
4. Government provides aerodromes and the media says we need bus stations.
5. The government provides state of the art ICT centers to enhance teaching and learning of ICT and the media says we need mobile phones and airtime.
6. The government provides affordable housing and transport and the media says we need hamlets.
7. The government removes schools under trees and the media says the school children needs fresh air under the trees.
8. Even in Hague, the media was vague as the Tribunal of ITLOS asked Ghana to proceed with oil exploration but media says Ghana lost maritime dispute to Ivory Coast.
9. When a motion was filed by minority seeking rally of parliament into investigating Ford gift misinterpretation the media reported that Parliament had began impeachment process of the President.
More recently,
9. Npp thugs fire gunshots at President Mahama and supporters but media says unarmed NDC attacks armed Npp hoodlums.
It is crystal clear that Ghana’s media has long veered off the road to progress and development resulting in various malicious charges against the President of the republic of Ghana and Ghanaians; only a description of pure flippancy.
These perverse nature of Ghana’s media Democracy with hostility and hostility of the particular bitter and persistent kind has resulted in a plausible and a carefully worked out mafia by cabals in the media against the governing National Democratic Congress and His Excellency President Dramani John Mahama.
The media remains guilty of charges of information genocide, information agglutination and politically influenced media operations.
To ensure a Peaceful 2016 election, the media is herein charged with ethical responsibilities and roles. The media has a role to ensure equity in discharging their duties, the media has a duty in reporting only what is true, the media has a duty to be born again and baptised in that which is good and right.
God bless you.
Enjoy Peace before, during and after this election.
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