UPHOLDING MEDIA ETHICS (AUGUST 17, 2009)

SOME advanced countries have developed healthy democracies because of constructive engagements between the rulers and their people. The vehicle for the attainment of a blossomed and enduring democracy has always been the media.
Taking a cue from Ghana’s chequered history, the framers of the Constitution understood precisely how power could be abused.
The framers, including ordinary citizens, therefore, built into the governance structure a unique and complex system of checks and balances where Parliament controls the purse strings of the Executive and the Judiciary scrutinises the two organs, while the press holds all of them accountable for their actions.
The American President, Thomas Jefferson, established the pre-eminence of the media in a democratic state when he wrote in 1789 that “the basis of our government being the opinion of the people....the very first object should be to keep the right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter”.
The critical role of the media in nation building was re-echoed in Accra at the weekend by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, at the 14th GJA Awards and the 60th anniversary of the GJA on the theme “ Media-Promoting Dialogue, Mutual Understanding and Unity.
The Vice-President said quite rightly that “even in this era, the media is still trying to establish its identity and mission. In the current cacophonous landscape, what is the mission of the media”? He asked.
He said although the answer might vary, the true mission remained one and the same as it must be forever, and that is to “ uphold the interest of the people. Stand for justice and truth”.
While many people applaud the media for nurturing democracy, promoting development and holding public office holders accountable, they are disturbed by the fact that some journalists disregard the ethics of the profession.
Journalists must re-orient themselves in order to promote national unity and cohesion.
We should set the example for accountability in our society by upholding the integrity of our profession.
Although the freedom and independence of the media is guaranteed by the constitution, there is no absolute freedom because freedom goes with responsibility.
Indeed, Article 164 of the 1992 Constitution states that “the powers of articles 163 and 163 of the constitution are subject to laws that are reasonably required in the interest of national security, public order, public morality and for the purpose of protecting the reputations, rights and freedoms of other persons.”
Journalists must be circumspect in their reportage because as humans, they have certain limitations, hence the need to heed the admonition of the Vice-President that “while we shine the spotlight of accountability on the President, police, custom officers, MPs, the Judiciary, etc, we must subject ourselves to the same measures”.
Even though we want the media to be a formidable force for change, it will be in our collective interest if we encourage media practitioners to strive for excellence and avoid the situation where their reportage rather promotes conflict and chaos in the society.
The Daily Graphic joins the GJA in celebrating excellence in journalism and urges the leadership of the media to entreat journalists to use the power of the pen and the microphone to set an agenda that engenders national unity in diversity.