Objective Reportage on Crimes In Ghana

Ghana in the past few weeks have experienced numerous cases of crime with most of them been armed robbery cases. On the 13^th of July, it was reported on various media platforms of how armed men shot two police officers killing one and the other obtaining various degrees of injuries at Lapaz in the nation’s capital. Barely 24 hours, another case of armed robbery was reported at East Legon around the ARS junction. This time round, the armed men were not lucky they were apprehended and handed over to the police. Similar cases are been reported day-in-day –out in many parts of the country. The security officers themselves are not safe talk less the ordinary civilian.

Fighting crime is therefore something that should be done in a holistic manner taking off all political, ethnic or religious bias. It needs a concerted approach. But as a concern citizen I begin to worry looking at the way some journalist report cases of crime in this country. The kind of headlines and captions used in reporting such stories alone are enough to cause more confusion and derail the efforts by various governments and the security agencies in fighting crime in the country.

I refer specifically to a news item I read on citifm online.com on the 13^th of July, 2017 written by one Mahama Latif with the caption “Jirapa MP’s boy, 3 others killed over alleged robbery”, gossipdiscovery.com also had the same story reported with the caption “Police gun down NDC man in robbery attack at Jirapa”. One is tempted to question the rationale behind such headlines. Couldn’t these journalists have reported this incident without tagging the MP or the NDC? Was the victim in NDC colors at the time of the accident? Or was he robbing people based on orders from the Jirapa MP?

It probably might be true the victim is an NDC sympathizer and as such probably campaigned for the MP during the electioneering period. But the Victim I believe went out to rob or does what he is reported to have been doing (leading a syndicate of robbers) on his own accord and as such the story should be reported objectively without tagging any individual or political party.

Journalist must learn how to report such delicate issues that needs national attention without any bias. It is saddening to hear that barely a week after the said gang leader was killed by the police; armed men have killed an innocent man and robbed several others on the Jirapa-Bussie route. The police in the district will need to step up their patrols to help save resident from the hands of these evil doers.

Pius Doozie
Freelance Journalist
[email protected]