Lecturer defends NDC's ad in Daily Guide

A media consultant and an adjunct lecturer of Communication and Journalism at the Blue Crest College in Accra, Mr Akilu Sayibu, says there is absolutely nothing wrong with a perceived opposition media carrying adverts of the ruling government.

Not only is such an action a purely commercial one but also journalistically ethical and falls within the journalistic principle of fairness and equality of practice.

Mr Akilu Sayibu, who has practiced journalism for over two decades, believes such practices should rather be encouraged since it can attract more readership as well as viewers or listeners to such media organizations to serve as a source of funding for the sustenance of the private media who are suffering and unable to break even in terms of income.

The Media Professional expressed this sentiment during an interaction with the media in Accra in the wake of criticisms and condemnations of an Accra based Daily Guide newspaper for carrying an advert of President Mahama’s second term bid.

According to Mr Sayibu, who is also the Managing Editor of The Voiceless, the marketing department of the Daily Guide newspaper must lobby the government and its agencies for more of such adverts to meet its operational cost.

“The Daily Guide, per my checks, employs more than 200 workers in the country.

How can the paper survive without such adverts?” He asked rhetorically.

Mr Sayibu has appealed to the Government to make such adverts available to The New Statesman newspaper as well to encourage the growth of the media in Ghana.