Politics And Emotions: The Bane of Multimedia Ghana Journalism

Joy FM and for that matter, the Multimedia Group Ltd has gained a reputation as a popular source of media information that exemplifies the uncontrolled freedom of expression in Ghana. But such a reputation will be short-lived if the political, emotional and judgmental journalism practiced at the media house is unchecked.

This article points out journalistic lapses on the part of the Multimedia Group for good reasons. The Multimedia Group is the largest private media house in the country, recruiting the top trained journalist in Ghana, and has not agreed yet to the label of a politically biased media house like Radio Gold or Daily Guide. Hence, the multimedia group is a symbol reflecting Ghanaian journalism. Its successes have positive outlook on Ghana's journalism just as its failures

The Joy multimedia group has been rife with sensational, emotional and political journalism especially among its senior journalists and it's agenda setting. On August 14 2011, a senior journalist and Assistant Editor of Myjoyonline, Malik Abass Daabu, wrote an article featured by joy as headline news article, in which he did not only expressly insult a minister of state (Inusah Fuseini) but also added respected elders of Tamale belonging to the NDC party to the insults. In such a letter, the journalist was emphatic that he was writing to protect the interest of the opposition NPP.

Just last December, Manasseh, in one of his folder articles insulted the NDC of having 'buga buga tactics' and 'short memories'. A Joy FM journalist, Edwin Appiah, referred to GYEEDA in a self-authored news item as, 'the disgraced state-run youth employment program'. Senior Multimedia journalist and their editors see nothing wrong with the use of emotional and judgmental words such as 'disgraced', 'Shameful', 'unruly', 'shambolic' etc. in most self-authored news items by the media house. Few examples are as follows;

Manasseh Azure:
Manasseh's Folder: Kuagbenu,Vanderpuije, Prof. Aryeetey And The Hypocrite Called Ghanaian
Manasseh's Folder: Kofi Humado's Impudence Of The Proverbial Thief
Manasseh's Folder: John Mahama And The Python Eaters Of Sadaland
Manasseh's Folder: The Insider Details Of Ghana's Shameful Showdown In Brazil

Nathan Gadugah
Ghana's Shameful World Cup Exit;Our Unruly Stars
Ghana's shameless World Cupexit; Our incompetent government- Part 1

Malik Abass Daabu
Opinion: Alhaji Inusah Fuseini; the MP that acted irresponsibly

Sensational and political journalism are perhaps the worse form of journalism to be practiced anywhere in the world. If Ghanaian journalist can engage in emotional and judgmental journalistic practices as we see in the Multimedia Group, how can they foster a balance in country that has been badly polarized by politics? News editors ought to ensure appropriateness of content, language, grammar, coherence and consistency of news that are produced by their media houses, but in most cases at Joy, it is not uncommon to come across grammatical errors, contradictions, deceptive and misleading titles and incoherence in news items. It appears that the only thing news editors do especially with myjoyonline is to say, 'Views expressed in this article are the views of the author and not myjoyonline', forgetting that they are the ones offering the platform for such views. Many views have been denied space by the same media house because they do not reflect its agenda.

It appears very clear from the news agenda setting of the multimedia group that the media house is on an agenda to unseat the current government. It's selective in publishing news items that are damaging to the government, identifies news discussants who are known critics of the NDC government and has consistently refused to publish views that are either in favour of the government or critical of the NPP. There have been many articles sent to myjoyonline and these have not been published without any reasons given. I am sure this one will also be denied any space.

Articles published and written by senior journalists of the multimedia group in recent times are more damaging to the government and have political tone than even those by opposition activists. Is it not strange that the Multimedia Group has been able to produce heroic investigative journalists like Manasseh Azure and others during the reign of the NDC government especially under John Mahama, when the same media house could not produce a single hero during the reign of Kufuor despite scandals such as 'Hotel Kufuor', 'Gizzel Yazi', Dr. Anani and the Aids conferences, and mysterious killings of prominent persons in Ghana?

I think the current journalism practiced at the multimedia group has significant impacts not only on the future of the media house but also on the future of media professionalism in the country. It raises questions about journalistic standards in the country in terms of the professional standards of the GJA and the journalism training institutions. If award-winning journalists engage in emotional, political and judge mental journalism, what happens to journalistic ethics and standards?

The media house may succeed in achieving its agenda of unseating the government, but it cannot continue its deception of Ghanaians as being an independent and objective media house. It stands the chance of losing professionally conscious journalists if not already and most likely will lose its position as the media house of choice for best-trained journalists in the country.

The more journalistic standards fall in Ghana and the media is polarized and politicized, the worse Ghana's democracy will become. We may have free media, but without professionalism, independence and objectivity, the freedom will mean nothing.

H.S. Wumpini
[email protected]