'Bow your heads in shame for employing people with huge Facebook followers as presenters' — Kwesi Pratt to TV stations
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has criticised television stations that require prospective presenters to have a minimum number of Facebook followers before considering them for employment.
Mr Pratt described the practice as “a complete affront” to professional journalism standards, warning that media organisations risk damaging the credibility of the industry when social media popularity becomes a criterion for hiring journalists.
He made the comments at the Ghana Journalists Association’s (GJA) 77th anniversary symposium in Accra on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, during discussions on the changing media landscape and the growing influence of digital platforms.
Mr Pratt said some television stations now assess applicants based on their social media following before employing them as presenters.
“I know some television stations you don't get employed as a presenter if you don't have a certain number of followers on Facebook,” he said.
He condemned the practice as “a complete affront to all of our standards”, arguing that media organisations that adopt such recruitment methods should be concerned about the impact on journalism.
“They are contributing significantly to undermining our credibility,” he said.
Journalism Must Go Beyond Social Media Popularity
Mr Pratt cautioned against allowing the pursuit of social media attention to redefine the responsibilities of journalists.
He said while digital platforms often reward controversy, outrage and sensational content, professional journalism requires journalists to exercise sound judgment and determine what information is genuinely important to the public.
“The journalist's task, however, is not simply to maximise attention, but to determine what the public needs to know,” he said.
He noted that being the first journalist to publish a story did not necessarily make it the most accurate or important report of the day.
According to him, one journalist may break a story first and still get the facts wrong, while another who publishes later could produce the most significant report.
“The internet rewards speech. Journalism requires judgment,” he said.
He therefore urged newsrooms to ensure that the speed and competitiveness of digital publishing do not erode the professional standards that distinguish journalism from ordinary online content.
Give Ordinary Ghanaians More Space
Mr Pratt also challenged media organisations to reconsider whose voices and experiences dominate national news coverage.
He observed that major news bulletins frequently focus on politicians, government officials, corporate executives and institutional authorities, while farmers, market women, fishermen, teachers, nurses, unemployed young people and other ordinary citizens receive comparatively less attention.
He argued that ordinary citizens should not become news subjects only when disasters or other crises occur.
“These people are not merely background scenario to the national story. They hold the country in place,” he said.
Mr Pratt called on journalists to reclaim what he described as “the responsibility to listen and not only the ability to speak.”
He urged journalists to go beyond press conferences and official statements and engage directly with citizens whose daily experiences are often reduced to statistics.
“If journalism is serious about telling the people's story, it must go where the people are,” he said.
Credibility at the Heart of Journalism
Mr Pratt's remarks formed part of a broader call for the Ghanaian media to uphold professional standards while adapting to the growing influence of social media and artificial intelligence.
He said the major challenge confronting journalism was no longer simply access to information but the ability to establish and communicate the truth in an environment saturated with information.
He maintained that media credibility must be built on accuracy, verification, fairness, courage and the willingness to investigate powerful individuals and institutions.
Mr Pratt also raised concerns about the influence of ownership structures, funding, advertising and political interests on editorial independence.
He argued that freedom from direct government censorship did not necessarily mean journalists were free from other forms of pressure.
According to him, media organisations cannot demand fearless and independent journalism from their reporters while failing to address the economic and professional conditions under which journalists operate.