Necessary New Deals

The death of Samuel Nuamah, the New Times Corporation reporter, in the line of duty has provoked various thoughts since the unexpected incident occurred.

In our editorial yesterday, we expressed dismay over a raging argument over whether the accident report had been blown out of proportion or not. The issue of whether the vehicle was roadworthy and therefore appropriate for the use of the presidential press corps was in the media domain. The argument was becoming rough and really not commensurate with our mood at this moment of loss; and we did rightly call for cessation of trivialities by those who should have known better.

Be it as it may, the death of this young man, as observed in a preceding paragraph, has laid bare a subject which, it would appear, has never been discussed seriously. The best it has had are occasional mention over coffee or beer at the press centre.

Samuel Nuamah, as he joins his ancestors, has left us with no option but to delve into the travails of journalists and what happens should the inevitable happen, especially when the victim is in his prime and leaves behind a dependent or dependents as in the case of the deceased.

While we share in the pain of the family, we ask that all of us in this profession ponder a while and think about an innovative way of dealing with the unknown future.

Journalism being one of the hazardous occupations in which many practitioners have lost their lives and continue to do so, there is the exigent need to make provisions for adequate compensation for them as they serve their nation.

It is lamentable that even in the absence of any such package for journalists, their remuneration is not commensurate with their output and the dangers they are wont to encounter in the field.

In spite of this anomalous reality, they are expected to do their best under telling conditions – sometimes at the peril of their lives.

Unfortunately, the Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA) has over the years failed to act to reverse the conditions of journalists.

As an association to which practising journalists belong, we are constrained to point out that the body is not living up to expectation and has largely been on the side of employers, leaving its most critical constituent to its fate. That is the plight of journalists and the man who died. In fact, his family would hardly be remembered, especially the one kid he left behind, by those whose order to go and work he heeded.

The story of Samuel Nuamah is a case in point. It is an important test case for the president of the association and his executives. Their failure to exact the maximum compensation from the relevant bodies would define aptly their quality and whether they are fit to continue holding office.

At a time when this should be the subject preoccupying those we have elected into office to champion our cause, they are busy arguing over whether the bus of the presidential press corps was roadworthy or not.

We need a better deal for our members in both the public and private sectors.