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Too many journalism schools, says Ransford Tetteh
Accra, April 13, Ghanadot/GNA - Mr
Ransford Tetteh, President of the Ghana Journalists’
Association (GJA) at the weekend expressed concern about
what he termed “mushrooming of journalism training
institutions” and urged practitioners to dutifully protect
the profession’s image.
He announced at a dinner dance to climax the 15th
anniversary of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra that
the Association was dialoguing with publishers of private
newspapers and media owners on measures to inject more
sanity and to flush out quacks from profession.
Mr Tetteh, who is also the Editor of the Daily Graphic, said
lack or inadequate training, and poor remuneration by some
media Houses had negatively affected the practice of the
journalism.
He said there had been instances where some media houses did
not pay any remuneration to their reporters, most of them
untrained, adding that this led to some of these reporters,
not only making monetary demands, but also harassing
organisers of events they covered.
Mr Tetteh urged media practitioners to pursue constant
capacity-building to high standards.
Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Bagbin,
observed that Ghana’s democratic culture was weak.
He said there was still much “darkness” in Government,
stating that much as close sitting was for national security
reasons, they were in other cases an aberration of
Parliamentary culture.
Mr Bagbin asked the media not to relent, but to ensure that
the state natural, human and material resources were
properly utilized and accounted for by those to whom they
were entrusted.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister for Ports,
Habours and Railways, who was the Guest of Honour, urged the
Parliamentary Press Corp to intensify education of Ghanaians
to enable them understand the work of the MP.
He said the Press was expected to inform, educate and
analyse laws passed, loans approved and other programmes and
projects discussed in Parliament.
Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi shared similar view with Mr Andrew Edwin
Arthur, Dean of the Corps, that both journalists and
politicians should be circumspect in their use of language
and avoid inflammatory statements in the run up to the 2008
general election.
Mr Arthur had stated that in the next few weeks, the
executive of the Corps was going to be tough and adopt
measures to nip in the bud traces of wrong reportage.
“The Press Corps will not tolerate mediocrity and biased
reportage that have the tendency of casting a slur on our
image,” Mr Arthur said.
Mr John Dramani Mahama, Vice Presidential Candidate of the
National Democratic Congress, who chaired the ceremony,
observed that Parliamentary Reporting was a specialised
area.
He said there was a rather high turnover of reporters on the
parliamentary beat, adding that it rather made the media
house lose experienced hands.
Mr Emmanuel Anyimadu, Clerk to Parliament, said the Press
corps and Parliament were partners and the two must sit to
dialogue for mutual benefits.
Certificates of appreciation were given to organizations
that supported the celebration of the anniversary.
They included Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Prudential Bank, Phyto
Riker, Social Security and National Insurance Trust, Ghana
Commercial Bank, and the Office of the Administrator of the
District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
GNA
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