As an editor of a newspaper then, the period I most feared for my life was, incidentally, under President Kufuor’s first term – the era of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law.
Significantly, however, the threats and actual assaults which I endured as a journalist were all from opposition activists incensed by my writings and utterances.
My writings and comments were not necessarily defamatory, but mainly acerbic, like calling an opposition leader a “poodle” and spicing it up with a caricature. Those days my tongue was like a shredder! My written words could sting like jellyfish and, for some, my words could be as debilitating as necrotizing fasciitis.
For some time then Francis Poku had me under constant armed protection. I chose not to make any noise about it at all. I endured it all quietly and continued doing my work.
Yes, the era my life was under threat as a journalist was under an NPP government. But the threats and attacks I endured were from opposition elements!
How would it have been reported internationally if I had made a big deal of it? That journalists were not safe under President Kufuor? That would have been completely unfair but at least I could have been verily but mischievously cited as proof!
Thankfully, I do not remember saying many things that could easily get me into real trouble with the law. Well, there was one tricky publication of October 2003 in the paper I edited on Tony Aidoo and his immigration issues in the UK. The source of that story was authoritatively “unimpeachable.” The case had an interesting ending!
What am I trying to say? Not much. Just telling a small part of my story as a troublesome journalist. That, we must forever protect the rights of journalists to speak freely. Take it as you wish!
Again, please let us focus just a little bit more on this part of the report that has gotten many critics of this government particularly ‘ejaculative’:
The 2022 edition of the World Press Freedom Index, which assesses the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories, highlights the disastrous effects of news and information chaos. Particularly with democratic societies, such as ours, the report laments how divisions are growing as a result of the spread of opinion media following the “Fox News model” and the spread of disinformation circuits that are amplified by the way social media functions. It argues that polarisation on these two levels is fuelling increased tension.
Let us bring it home to Ghana. We have long had a tradition where politicians or people with strong political affiliations (including myself) own media houses. Can we go in deeper and list radio stations, TV stations and newspapers of such ownerships, put the ones with NDC links on one side and the ones with NPP links on the other. English ones, and those that broadcast in twi and other languages.
Do an objective analysis of them. You know them well. Rank them, in terms of insults, defamation, recklessness, decency, professionalism etc. Just a little exercise. It may give you greater appreciation of the extent of media freedom and/or media hooliganism in Ghana!
PS:
It has never been wrong for politicians or people with strong political links to own media companies. The history of the press is littered with such links. It is essentially about how you keep it REAL & RESPONSIBLE.
Source: mypublisher24.com