The NPP’s Mic Drama Drowns Out Their Own Message

At a time when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is desperately trying to reset its public image and reconnect with Ghanaians, the last thing they need is another unforced error, but they have done it again. The drama at their recent press conference, where a TV3 microphone was embarrassingly yanked off the table, has done more damage than any “biased reporting” ever could.

While using their press conference platform to communicate their message or clarify their next move, the NPP chose, in the process, to engage in a petty display of media antagonism, pushing away a TV3 microphone in front of rolling cameras, all in the name of ‘alleged bias.’ And what happened? The press conference became a side note. Its substance was drowned out by public backlash and online chatter.

This was a PR disaster. An epic failure of strategic communication. In communication, one principle remains sacred; the message is everything. You never let theatrics overshadow your message. The NPP did the exact opposite. The party’s communication handlers failed at agenda setting, a basic concept every serious political outfit must understand. The press conference should have controlled the narrative. Instead, the party handed over control to the media and the public.

From a Public Relations Point of View, the move was equally flawed. One of the cardinal rules of PR is media neutrality, engage all media houses with professionalism, regardless of editorial slant. Why? Because perception is everything. If you cry foul over “bias” and act out in public, you come across as intolerant, defensive, and weak. Worse still, you give that media house more power. Today, TV3 looks like the victim of bullying and censorship, while the NPP looks like a bunch of insecure politicians.

This is not the political strategy of an opposition party. This is not how you win hearts after an embarrassing defeat.

The NPP has bigger battles to fight. A microphone should never have made the headlines. But thanks to their own lack of media maturity, it did. Now, the story is no longer about what they said, it’s about what they did.