In the last transition years from military to civilian rule which arrived in 1992, it was common place to be reminded by democratic governance advocates and activists that the “media is mightier than the sword.” In other words, the gun is no match for the pen.
When the will of the people prevailed with the introduction of multi-party democracy, the media remained resolute and after 25 years, its contribution to the sustenance of our democracy cannot be over emphasised, despite the down sides of indulgence in trivialities, fanning of political enmity and vendetta and not living up to the “objective standard” ethics in the early years of “media freedom” in Ghana.
New era:
With the help of technology the media has evolved beyond our wildest imaginations. Fortunately or unfortunately, there is no end in sight for the jet speed evolution in the new or social media in particular. Experts are still out there searching how the “pen,” keyboards of smart phones could be used as weapons to overthrow dictatorships in North Africa.
Back home, the media continues to play its agenda setting role in the development process. Some media houses have shown brilliance focusing on the policy issues, the analysis, the alternative and options; pointing in the direction of maximising resources for the good of the nation. They inspire hope!
Polarisation:
There is no denying the fact that the media is as divided as politics in Ghana. There is the pro-government and pro-opposition media; both print and electronic. In three out of ten current affairs television or radio programmes, you would identify a panel made up of a coached, well-rehearsed government propagandist and a thoroughly biased opposition representative discussing the national budget or a loan.
And the arguments can be deliberately impossible. But they are inflicted on the poor citizen who must understand to make an informed choice at the next election. At the end of the show the listener gets confused to the point that default setting kicks in. He or she is confused and naturally settles for the lesser of two evils, which is to maintain the status quo.
Monetisation and Sensationalism:
Like our politics, the media is heavily monetised. For instance, the number of paragraphs, space and time allocated to the story of a particular news source; in many instances have become a function of the weight, hand-out or “solidarity” paid by the source, and not the value of the source or information for national development.
Monetisation has led to a greater problem of unfair reports and opinion pages as well as unbalanced and subjective accounts and presentations. The hunger for “scoops” exclusive accounts, have resulted in “Journalists” misreporting, misleading and escalating unconfirmed stories that they would have to retract and apologise for later. We could do better.
Confidence:
Following the bribery and corruption allegations levelled against some members of the judiciary not long ago and the subsequent investigations and punishment of those found guilty, details of the offences they committed; have heightened the fear among many that the judiciary would not dispense justice freely and fairly.
Inasmuch as I cannot dispel the fears of others, I still have faith in the judiciary to deliver justice that is not bought. Same way I believe the media, as the fourth estate of the realm, has a critical role to play in our development process. They must be encouraged to uphold the good name of the profession in their dealings with all and sundry.
Future:
The rate at which technology is going convinces me that the media would sooner than later be pushed to a place over and above the first three estates of the realm namely: executive, legislature and judiciary in terms of policy formulation and implementation.
If that happens, those who manage and work in the media would have to serve as the conscience of our society. It would mean getting economists, bankers and financial experts to discuss and explain the national budget and not government propagandists and impossible opposition activists who twist facts and figures for selfish gains.
It would mean checking and rechecking facts before going public. As my teacher in wire service admonished us: “If in doubt hold; if in absolute doubt delete.” This is a life time ethic that our journalists can imbibe.
Owners and boards of media houses must be aware of the divine responsibility to collectively run media organisations that would serve as the conscience of our society. It means capacity of Journalists, Presenters and their Producers would have to be built and or upgraded. Journalists must be well paid to attract the brightest and best into the profession.
As today marks the re-birth of the “Today” newspaper where, I write a column, I wish to take the opportunity to warmly present to the proprietors, board, management and staff as well as readers of the paper a very happy re-launch with many happy returns.
The Last Uprising
…with William Dowokpor