Irresponsible, Noisy About It

Kojo Yankah

Nothing stops the media from exposing wrong in society if they suspect there is one, but in the instant case of the cause of John Kumah’s death, it is not based on hearsay.

Kojo Yankah, we urge you to “school” your journalists to accept just one reality. People’s medical records are not based on the opinion of the uneducated about health issues. There can be only one source to authenticate the cause of death of someone, and that is the autopsy report.

Mr. Board Chairman are you not worried that even after the widow of John Kumah has made public the cause of death of her husband, your journalist, Captain Smart still believes he has “explosives” about his death? Mr. Yankah, we know you did not teach us to breach the ethics of the profession.

When the NMC raised the alarm about the content of Onua FM and described the content as megaphone of war, management of the channel, Media General did not understand why the NMC urged the NCA to consider terminating the station’s spectrum without first listening to the management.

In a letter outlining its concerns, the management of Media General questioned among other things why the NMC did not give the management of Onua TV, the station it has issues with, a hearing on the matter before demanding a retraction and an apology.

Media General stated that the approach used by the NMC, “violated rules of natural justice and the mandate of the Commission in particular.”

We are happy management of Media General at least knows of natural justice but maybe, it does not believe in it. For if it does, in the context of the death of John Kumah, Captain Smart would not dare to operate with so much impunity and with no regard to media ethics.

We think what happens on Onua TV and FM and TV3 could just be part of the rescue mission of the NDC to find ways to make the ruling NPP unpopular.

There was intense opposition to the rule of President John Atta Mills, but when he passed in 2012, the outpouring of grief drummed out the partisan politics in the country. Why do we want to allow Captain Smart, Nigel Gaisie and Kofi Oduro to politicise the death of John Kumah? We are not amused at all because this is not funny.

A quick return to our values would help not only to build our strong family system, but will also boost unity in diversity despite the contest for political power. In this vein, the NMC must not only be interested in insulating the media from governmental control but it must equally be concerned about respect for media ethics.

The GJA and GIBA must also not be concerned about media rights and assault on journalists. We must defend media rights but we must do so bearing in mind our obligations and responsibilities. Media freedom cannot endure without media responsibility.

The NMC and the NCA must regulate the media terrain more seriously so that the likes of Captain Smart would find it difficult to practice with impunity.

We call for national action to halt media tyranny and the use of the media to cause disaffection in society. The media has the potential to lead in the conversation for the improved harnessing of our resources for the public good. The media is not to be used as a megaphone of war.

Source: Daily Guide