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Government has observed reactions to
its boycott of the Multimedia platforms and several distortions which
have come in the wake of it and wishes to clarify the matter.
First
of all it is important to emphasise that the commitment of this
government to expanding the frontiers of media freedom cannot be in
doubt. Apart from the fact that we are proud to belong to a tradition
which promulgated the most media-friendly Constitution, the 1992
Constitution which guarantees the freedom and independence of the press,
including the creation of the National Media Commission which insulates
the State-owned media from governmental control.
We are even
more proud of the new gains we are making in establishing the first-ever
Media Development Fund and making significant progress on the Freedom
of Information bill which moved from the Executive to the Legislature,
for the first time in more than nine years.
Secondly, it is
inaccurate for critics of government to aver that before this decision
to boycott Multimedia, government had not resorted to other means of
seeking redress. Indeed, the records will show that government over the
past three years has had cause to petition the National Media Commission
(NMC) and other stakeholders in matters of unfair and bias reportage by
members of the Multimedia platforms.
For example on July 7,
2010, the Ministry of Information lodged a complaint with the NMC
against Joy FM over a news report that GREDA executives had received
death threats and so were withdrawing their petition on the STX housing
project from Parliament. Again, on November 1, 2010, government lodged a
complaint against Joy FM and Adom FM (both from the Multimedia group)
over a false report of an armed attack and mass rape of passengers on a
Tamale-bound passenger bus.
Other examples include the following:
A false Joy FM news report that the Vice President was met with
gunshots at Buipe, when reports from other reporters on the scene was
that though there was a disagreement between two royal groups, it ended
hours before the Vice President arrived at the ceremony, and that there
were no gun shots. Joy FM failed to retract or apologize for the false
publication.
Joy FM reported yet another false and fabricated
story that the Vice President had bribed Mr Ebenezer Ato Sam (Baby
Ansaba) to go on air and condemn the opposition NPP and also make false
confessions or have him prosecuted for a road offence. Despite the
denial of that story by all the persons involved, Joy FM failed to
substantiate, retract or apologize.
Following a story that said
some military personnel stripped naked and man-handled two teachers in
Bawku, Joy FM spoke to a certain Dr. Bukari from the Bawku hospital who
painted a horrific picture of the alleged injuries of the victims. The
management of the Bawku hospital issued a press statement saying they
did not have any doctor on their staff list by that name. Again, Joy FM
refused to broadcast the hospital’s reaction, did not retract and did
not substantiate their false claim.
Joy FM reported that BNI
operatives who went to the house of a former Kosmos Energy staff,
stripped him naked before his family. But the man himself denied the
story, explaining that the investigators who came were civil and
professional. Yet, Joy FM refused to at least apologise for the false
publication.
A World Economic Forum report said Ghana's
investment climate has improved by four decimal points. Joy FM in
reporting the news claimed that Ghana was not a favourable climate, any
longer, for investment because it had gone down by four decimal places
from 2008. After arguing over their false claims, when they decided to
report the fact, Joy FM refused to acknowledge that they had erred in
their earlier reports.
We have also had cause to discuss with
management and staff of Multimedia many other concerns including unfair
empanelling, the presentation of views of resource persons who have
known bias as if they were neutral, fabrications and distortions of
international reports on Ghana, unfair allocation of time during
interviews and unfair allotment of exclusive interviews tilted in favour
of the main opposition political party.
The records will
therefore show that this decision of a boycott has come about only after
several engagements and petitions which in most times have been treated
with contempt by Multimedia.
The recent incident at Asempa FM
where the NPP Youth Organiser, Mr. Anthony Karbo led a group of NPP
supporters to invade the station and disrupted a live programme. Those
who were listening to the Programme heard the host of the programme
trying strenuously to prevent an NPP panelist from using abusive
language on His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills. As the host
of the programme stood his grounds, the NPP panelist placed a call to
the NPP National Youth Organizer who then led the mob invasion.
Government
has been surprised by the inability of Multimedia to condemn this
unruly and undemocratic conduct and has refused or failed to assure NDC
panelists of their safety. We have been even more surprised at the
strange happenings in the aftermath; as we have all observed, the Asempa
FM programme was initially taken off air for some days, only to be
brought back with a different host and the NPP publicly stating that
their plot has worked.
For more than three years, we have been
at the receiving end of unfair and bias conduct from Multimedia and our
reaction was informed by the above. As a responsible government we would
never adopt the NPP Karbo approach or other covert means of sabotage in
making our case but as adherents of good governance we have chosen to
be open and transparent.
Multimedia would be the first to admit
that if government had an agenda against it, we would not have through
Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) invested in its
expansion projects by buying Multimedia bonds or could have resorted to
embarrass them in Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s 10% shares in which
they are not up to date in dividends payment.
Government remains
committed to press freedom and would ensure that these freedoms are
guaranteed at all times. In this regard, the Ministry of Information has
accepted a request by the management of Multimedia for a meeting.
Signed, Hon. Fritz Baffour (MP) Minister of Information |
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