Charles Takyi-Boadu writes
katakyie@gmail.com, okofotakyi@yahoo.com
In recent times, many have complained about the falling standards in the theory and practice of journalism in Ghana.
Genuine as the concerns may be, I believe most of the arguments that have been advanced have been cluttered by mere speculations and hearsays.
Whatever the case may be, there is an underlying factor to this debate which Ghanaians especially most of those who advance arguments against or for the issue in contention easily gloss over through no fault of theirs.
Having practiced journalism for the past five years or so has given me a fair opportunity to make an assessment of the Ghanaian media landscape which I am part of.
There appears to be a growing trend of dishonesty, greed, self-centeredness and selfishness in the practice of journalism in the country, which I believe to a large extent, is contributing to the fall in standard of journalism practice.
Much as I agree that there are a lot of quack journalists in the system, I also know and to a large extent believe that their very existence have been given a boost by the sheer negligence of some media owners, most of who do not want to invest in quality.
As a result, every Tom, Dick and Harry can just wake up from his slumber and assume the role of a journalist in no less a time without any pre-requisite skill in the theory and practice of journalism.
Though I respect the views of people like Accra-based legal practitioner, Yonny Kulendi who believe journalism is not a profession but a vocation, I don’t subscribe to the belief and the school of thought which says that everybody and anybody at all can get up an say he is a journalist, especially when he or she does not have any rudimentary knowledge about the basic ethics of the profession.
But the issue of the falling standards in journalism practice in Ghana is one that goes beyond mere rhetoric’s and talk-shops.
Unlike other countries, journalism practice in Ghana has been reduced to naught, where the journalists’ only pride rests in his or her by-line, his or her voice on air and his or her face on the screens of our television sets at home.
In true sense, this is not what journalism is all about, neither is it the way it was meant and supposed to be.
I know and have seen very senior and respected journalists in this country who have passed on to glory under very deplorable conditions.
Having had the opportunity to attend courses relating to the journalism in Asia and Europe has given me a fair idea of what and how journalism practice is really like.
It thus appears that here in Ghana, we take journalism for granted, forgetting the power vested in us by the very foundations of our constitution.
Though journalism practice the world over is not a paid job but as some have branded a ‘thanking’ job, unlike other professionals like accountants, auditors, lawyers, doctors etc. I have seen journalists in other country’s living what can be described as average and comfortable lives as compared to those of us here in Ghana.
I remember discussing my salary with some colleague journalists from the war-ravaged and transition country, Afghanistan when I was on a course in India.
I bet your wondering that these guys laughed it off upon hearing how much I end at the end of each passing month.
They could not fathom how I was surviving on such paltry salary and yet took so much pride in the fact that I was a ‘Senior Staff Reporter’ of my media house.
Considering my experience in the practice of journalism and having seen some of my stories and write-ups, they said I would have been well off in their country for the simple reason that even they who were green horns in the profession were earning better salaries than myself.
Aside that, they are given spending allowances whenever they have to travel outside their country to attend courses which will inure to the benefit of their employers.
After interacting with other colleagues on the same course, I realised the situation cut across board among other colleagues from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nepal, Mauritius, Uzbekistan, and Yemen except for one or two countries whose journalists were living in conditions similar to those of Ghanaians.
I can thus say without fear of any contradiction whatsoever that majority of media owners in Ghana are over-exploiting their staff.
It will interest you to know that there are many journalists in Ghana who comb the length and breadth of the country and the streets and pavements of Accra and beyond in search of stories yet they earn less than hundred Ghana cedis or a little over that.
Don’t laugh! This is no joke. It is a serious issue, which should see the fathers and founders of journalism turning in their graves and thus have to engage the attention of you and me if we indeed want to help improve the falling standards of journalism practice in the country.
Yet the few of us who stand up to fight for structured conditions of service and our rights to either good or better conditions of service are branded as unionists and agitators and victimised for speaking our minds.
I have come to realise that journalism is either one of the worse or the worse profession in Ghana today for the simple reason that it is the only profession which practitioners so much pride themselves on fighting for the rights of others but yet cannot fight to salvage themselves from the whims of fear.
Most media owners in this country have virtually become demi-gods and tyrants who must be feared at all cost and whose positions are not to be challenged, no matter how crooked and weird they may be.
Their disposition are those of vampires of a ruling elite whose parochial interest is to fill their bellies and line their pockets with the toils and sweat of others who fall prey to their antics.
These are the very people who do not allow the growth of journalism with a better agenda setting, but consider politics as the only news that sells on the stands and would not allow any other thing apart from that on their front pages.
For them, the concept of development journalism or agenda setting is not part of their vocabulary since they believe you should ‘seek ye first the political kingdom and all other things shall be added’.
I remember trying to introduce or better still implement ‘development journalism’ as a concept in my media house but was told in the face that if I want to put this into practice then I better my way out, for the simple reason that political stories fetch more money.
The question I want to ask owners of most of the country’s media houses most of whose content are so politically inclined who said development-oriented stories don’t sell.
It is a hoax to believe in this kind of sceptism and fallacy since it has no basis, so they should stop making a whole faux of this whole idea and move forward; for it only takes a confident businessman to make a bold decision to venture into an unknown territory.
Personally, I find it is extremely difficult to renege on the principles on which I opted to practice journalism as a profession.
This conviction goes way beyond mere monetary consideration since I cannot trade my consciences for money.
The quest to get thing done in the right way is what has inspired some of us to this day, either than that appalling and prevailing conditions in the profession would have compelled us to join the fray of ‘business journalism’.
My only pride is the fact that I always stand and live for these principles which only a few of today’s journalists can uphold, but I don’t blame them though, considering the poor conditions under which they live.
However, I don’t think the condition under which one lives should make him to compromise his conscience that much for monetary since every journalist have but his name and image to hang on and protect.
I stand for these principles and would find it extremely difficult to allow monetary considerations to influence or colour my decision-making.
What many of those of us in the practice of journalism do not know is the power that we wield and the fact that we can effect changes in society.
We are sometimes made to believe that we are just passing through the system hence would compromise everything, including the only asset that we have, our conscience, in exchange for money.
But what I want to tell all Ghanaian journalists is for them to remain resolute and not be cowed and intimated by fears and threats of dismissals or demotion long as their certificates are still intact because the truth pains but it really pays to say as it is.
I therefore throw an open challenge to all journalists, stakeholders in the industry and especially media owners to gird their loins and brace themselves to the tenets of the profession and the tests of time since journalism is indeed a noble profession.
The next time you see somebody on you television set, don’t mistaken him for a rich man for he or she may be reeling under the shadows of poverty.
I live the rest of the debate for the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and all other persons and institutions who recognise the essence and value of this profession.
May the good lord save us all from the reels and shadows of the ravaging wind of poverty, which is sweeping across the spectrum without mercy.
I rest my case.
katakyie@gmail.com, okofotakyi@yahoo.com
In recent times, many have complained about the falling standards in the theory and practice of journalism in Ghana.
Genuine as the concerns may be, I believe most of the arguments that have been advanced have been cluttered by mere speculations and hearsays.
Whatever the case may be, there is an underlying factor to this debate which Ghanaians especially most of those who advance arguments against or for the issue in contention easily gloss over through no fault of theirs.
Having practiced journalism for the past five years or so has given me a fair opportunity to make an assessment of the Ghanaian media landscape which I am part of.
There appears to be a growing trend of dishonesty, greed, self-centeredness and selfishness in the practice of journalism in the country, which I believe to a large extent, is contributing to the fall in standard of journalism practice.
Much as I agree that there are a lot of quack journalists in the system, I also know and to a large extent believe that their very existence have been given a boost by the sheer negligence of some media owners, most of who do not want to invest in quality.
As a result, every Tom, Dick and Harry can just wake up from his slumber and assume the role of a journalist in no less a time without any pre-requisite skill in the theory and practice of journalism.
Though I respect the views of people like Accra-based legal practitioner, Yonny Kulendi who believe journalism is not a profession but a vocation, I don’t subscribe to the belief and the school of thought which says that everybody and anybody at all can get up an say he is a journalist, especially when he or she does not have any rudimentary knowledge about the basic ethics of the profession.
But the issue of the falling standards in journalism practice in Ghana is one that goes beyond mere rhetoric’s and talk-shops.
Unlike other countries, journalism practice in Ghana has been reduced to naught, where the journalists’ only pride rests in his or her by-line, his or her voice on air and his or her face on the screens of our television sets at home.
In true sense, this is not what journalism is all about, neither is it the way it was meant and supposed to be.
I know and have seen very senior and respected journalists in this country who have passed on to glory under very deplorable conditions.
Having had the opportunity to attend courses relating to the journalism in Asia and Europe has given me a fair idea of what and how journalism practice is really like.
It thus appears that here in Ghana, we take journalism for granted, forgetting the power vested in us by the very foundations of our constitution.
Though journalism practice the world over is not a paid job but as some have branded a ‘thanking’ job, unlike other professionals like accountants, auditors, lawyers, doctors etc. I have seen journalists in other country’s living what can be described as average and comfortable lives as compared to those of us here in Ghana.
I remember discussing my salary with some colleague journalists from the war-ravaged and transition country, Afghanistan when I was on a course in India.
I bet your wondering that these guys laughed it off upon hearing how much I end at the end of each passing month.
They could not fathom how I was surviving on such paltry salary and yet took so much pride in the fact that I was a ‘Senior Staff Reporter’ of my media house.
Considering my experience in the practice of journalism and having seen some of my stories and write-ups, they said I would have been well off in their country for the simple reason that even they who were green horns in the profession were earning better salaries than myself.
Aside that, they are given spending allowances whenever they have to travel outside their country to attend courses which will inure to the benefit of their employers.
After interacting with other colleagues on the same course, I realised the situation cut across board among other colleagues from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nepal, Mauritius, Uzbekistan, and Yemen except for one or two countries whose journalists were living in conditions similar to those of Ghanaians.
I can thus say without fear of any contradiction whatsoever that majority of media owners in Ghana are over-exploiting their staff.
It will interest you to know that there are many journalists in Ghana who comb the length and breadth of the country and the streets and pavements of Accra and beyond in search of stories yet they earn less than hundred Ghana cedis or a little over that.
Don’t laugh! This is no joke. It is a serious issue, which should see the fathers and founders of journalism turning in their graves and thus have to engage the attention of you and me if we indeed want to help improve the falling standards of journalism practice in the country.
Yet the few of us who stand up to fight for structured conditions of service and our rights to either good or better conditions of service are branded as unionists and agitators and victimised for speaking our minds.
I have come to realise that journalism is either one of the worse or the worse profession in Ghana today for the simple reason that it is the only profession which practitioners so much pride themselves on fighting for the rights of others but yet cannot fight to salvage themselves from the whims of fear.
Most media owners in this country have virtually become demi-gods and tyrants who must be feared at all cost and whose positions are not to be challenged, no matter how crooked and weird they may be.
Their disposition are those of vampires of a ruling elite whose parochial interest is to fill their bellies and line their pockets with the toils and sweat of others who fall prey to their antics.
These are the very people who do not allow the growth of journalism with a better agenda setting, but consider politics as the only news that sells on the stands and would not allow any other thing apart from that on their front pages.
For them, the concept of development journalism or agenda setting is not part of their vocabulary since they believe you should ‘seek ye first the political kingdom and all other things shall be added’.
I remember trying to introduce or better still implement ‘development journalism’ as a concept in my media house but was told in the face that if I want to put this into practice then I better my way out, for the simple reason that political stories fetch more money.
The question I want to ask owners of most of the country’s media houses most of whose content are so politically inclined who said development-oriented stories don’t sell.
It is a hoax to believe in this kind of sceptism and fallacy since it has no basis, so they should stop making a whole faux of this whole idea and move forward; for it only takes a confident businessman to make a bold decision to venture into an unknown territory.
Personally, I find it is extremely difficult to renege on the principles on which I opted to practice journalism as a profession.
This conviction goes way beyond mere monetary consideration since I cannot trade my consciences for money.
The quest to get thing done in the right way is what has inspired some of us to this day, either than that appalling and prevailing conditions in the profession would have compelled us to join the fray of ‘business journalism’.
My only pride is the fact that I always stand and live for these principles which only a few of today’s journalists can uphold, but I don’t blame them though, considering the poor conditions under which they live.
However, I don’t think the condition under which one lives should make him to compromise his conscience that much for monetary since every journalist have but his name and image to hang on and protect.
I stand for these principles and would find it extremely difficult to allow monetary considerations to influence or colour my decision-making.
What many of those of us in the practice of journalism do not know is the power that we wield and the fact that we can effect changes in society.
We are sometimes made to believe that we are just passing through the system hence would compromise everything, including the only asset that we have, our conscience, in exchange for money.
But what I want to tell all Ghanaian journalists is for them to remain resolute and not be cowed and intimated by fears and threats of dismissals or demotion long as their certificates are still intact because the truth pains but it really pays to say as it is.
I therefore throw an open challenge to all journalists, stakeholders in the industry and especially media owners to gird their loins and brace themselves to the tenets of the profession and the tests of time since journalism is indeed a noble profession.
The next time you see somebody on you television set, don’t mistaken him for a rich man for he or she may be reeling under the shadows of poverty.
I live the rest of the debate for the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and all other persons and institutions who recognise the essence and value of this profession.
May the good lord save us all from the reels and shadows of the ravaging wind of poverty, which is sweeping across the spectrum without mercy.
I rest my case.
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