GJA condemns Daily Guide story on paedophile as “indecent, racist”

Accra, Sept. 10, GNA – The Ghana Journalists Association has condemned Thursday's lead story of the Daily Guide newspaper involving the activities of a paedophile, saying the headline and photographs obtained from a video clip are “highly unethical, grossly indecent and pornographic”.

A statement signed by the GJA President, Mr Ransford Tetteh, said “the coverage approach by the paper with sexually offensive photographs promotes obscenity which every journalist under Article 5 of the GJA Code of Ethics is required to guard against”.

It said even the “feeble attempt” to cover the eyes of the children who were prominently featured did not in any way “mitigate the gravity of this unfortunate behaviour”.

The GJA said the headline had a racist connotation by describing the male genital as “white”, adding Article 6 of the GJA Code requested journalists not to originate materials, which encouraged discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation.

“The GJA is deeply saddened that three weeks after winning the Best Layout and Design Award at the 14th GJA Awards, the paper has tarnished its reputation with this unprofessional presentation.

“It is disheartening that the paper will use its excellent layout and design skills to promote pornography in a story involving vulnerable groups like children.”

The GJA said it would make a formal complaint to the Editors' Forum with the hope that Editors would discuss the matter and take the issue of curbing obscenity in the media more seriously.

GNA