No more anecdotes in news presentation

The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission says guidelines issued by the Commission will ensure that news presentation in local languages conform to the rules of journalistic practice.

Mr George Sarpong said in journalism “spontaneity of news presentation is not permitted in broadcasting.”

News readers in local languages on radio stations do translations using anecdotes in presenting news. The news readers often use proverbs and and try to embellish the stories they present to listeners.

But the NMC boss, who spoke to Joy FM's Super Morning Show hosted by Evans Mensah said that is not acceptable.

According to Mr Sarpong, news must “be specifically collected, well processed, edited, proof read and then it is presented.

“So if you carry some material to the studio and the language you are using comes only at the spare of the moment and exists only in your mind, then what it means is that whereas the idea may have gone through some editorial process, the language has not. But in journalism both the language and idea must go through reflections and editing and that is where the risk comes with what they have been doing.”

He said the NMC will monitor radio stations and their adherence to the guidelines and expressed the hope owners of radio stations will not do anything that will compel the NMC to apply such extreme sanctions as revoking their frequencies.

The General Secretary of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Mr Gerald Ankrah said the association is in support of the guidelines.

He said GIBA has not been happy with the way some of its members present news.

Mr Ankrah appealed for a concerted effort from the newsrooms to improve on their translation and the quality of news presentation.

Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline/Ghana