For the umpteenth time, the Daily Graphic has had to add its voice to discussions condemning verbal assaults on the airwaves and the use of foul language in the newspapers.
The framers of the 1992 Constitution were very clear in their minds when they guaranteed the freedom and independence of the media.
Article 162 Clause 3 says that “there shall be no impediments to the establishment of private press or media; and in particular, there shall be no law requiring any person to obtain a licence as a prerequisite to the establishment or operation of a newspaper, journal or other media for mass communication or information”.
The same chapter on the freedom and independence of the media guarantees that “all agencies of the mass media shall, at all times, be free to uphold the principles, provisions and objectives of this Constitution, and shall uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people of Ghana”.
Although the media is to act as watchdog of society, some media practitioners abuse the role by using the media platform to hold their readers or audiences hostage.
A section of the media that uses the power of the media to blackmail and distort issues in society must be feared and this group poses as a danger to media freedom.
This is because ethical commitment is the cornerstone of any effort to define or redefine and strengthen the journalist’s role to serve the public good.
Journalists must understand their role better and pay particular attention to their sources in the search for the truth, verification of the fact, balanced treatment of the various positions, appropriate use of language and strong story telling.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, at its meeting in Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region, has added its voice to a call made earlier by the President for a stop to the verbal assault in our body politic.
The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, charged Christian leaders to rise up and speak against “the culture of insults”, which is creeping into Ghanaian politics.
He charged the men of God to not be silent and allow “the noble art of politics to be dragged into the quagmire of insults, character assassination and threat of violence”.
The Daily Graphic will go beyond men of God with the appeal to all leaders of our society, to ensure sanity and decency on the media landscape.
We believe that no matter our disagreements, they can be expressed without necessarily insulting those who do not share our beliefs.
There are many failed states on the African continent whose experiences can serve as a guide to protecting our democracy.
There is little doubt that much of the current concern about the role of journalism in nation building has its roots in the utter disregard for the code of ethics of the profession.
The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time any ethical breaches were cured before the country entered the stage for preparations towards the 2012 general election.
If journalism is to continue to be relevant, then journalists should listen to the admonitions of the President, the Ghana Bishops Conference and others and pledge to defend the ethical values of the profession and encourage men of goodwill to support excellence in journalism for the public good because anything to the contrary will be a lethal weapon meant for destruction.
The Daily Graphic urges the inky fraternity to endeavour to serve society with accurate, balanced and fair reportage in order to enhance participatory governance and national development.
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