Dean of the School of Communications, University of Ghana, Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, is wondering if it is worth it for journalists to belong to the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) when the Association has on numerous occasions demonstrated it cannot protect the welfare of its members.
“If an association cannot protect the welfare of its members, who can?” she quizzed in an interview on News File Saturday.
Advocacy
According to her, the GJA is no longer interested in the welfare of journalists and therefore, has relegated its advocacy role to organizations such as the Media Foundation for West Africa.
“One of the responsibilities of the GJA is to advocate for its members. More often that advocacy and that of its commitment to the welfare of its members is left to organizations such as the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). Media Foundation for West Africa is more robust when journalists are attacked. So, you have to worry.”
Her comment was in reaction to the seemingly compromised position of the GJA over an attack of a Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) reporter by Presidential Staffer, Stan Dogbe.
Stan Dogbe destroys recorder
The Presidential Staffer, Kasapafmonline.com understands, destroyed the audio recorder of Yahaya Kwamoah at the 37 Military Hospital.
Yahaya Kwamoah had been at the hospital to report on an accident involving the Presidential Press Corps (PPC) in which one of the journalists, Samuel Nuamah, who was a reported for the Ghanaian Times, lost his life.
The body of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of the health facility while several others who sustained various degrees of injuries were receiving treatment.
Yahaya Kwamoah was said to have recorded a conversation between Stan Dogbe and Communications Minister, Dr. Omane Boamah, who were then strategizing to inform the public about the incident.
Accounts of Affail Monney
President of the GJA and also GBC Director of Radio, Dr. Affail Monney, commenting on the incident said ‘as a very good journalist that he is, Yahaya thought he could nose around. But the meeting wasn’t meant for media consumption.”
“When the journalist’s attention was drawn to the fact that it was a private discussion, he retreated from the two. While he was walking away, Stan Dogbe chased him…..seized his recorder and smashed it. Stan did not deny that this is what happened.”
He revealed that Stan Dogbe had promised to replace the recorder. He further revealed that once Yahaya Kwamoah had reported the matter to his employers, they are looking it.
However, in the opinion of the Journalism Professor, the GJA President could have done better than to compromise his position over the matter.
“I was surprised that immediately that happened, the GJA executives led by their President did not string themselves to line to what has happened, particularly, because of who was responsible. In listening to the GJA President on the whole issue reminded me of the way things have gone far in terms of journalistic independence. However, there is a strong culture of handling to officialdom that still blight our media, particularly, state owned media and the GJA President is coming from GBC,” she noted.
She wondered why Mr. Affail Monney could take such entrench position to the detriment of his own reporter knowing very well that journalists have been at the forefront of ensuring that citizens rights are always protected.
“How can journalists be strong advocates of citizens’ rights when they themselves cannot protect their own rights and fight for their conditions of service?”
By: Kasapafmonline.com/Ghana
