PV Obeng photo: Daily Guide reacts to GJA, NMC

We are constrained to revisit the subject of our editorial of yesterday concerning our publishing of a silhouette picture of the late PV Obeng as part of our coverage of his sudden death.

In yesterday’s editorial comment of this paper, we reacted to some vituperative attacks on us from corners we least expected. We had preferred to let sleeping dogs lie after our reaction yesterday.

The effusions propelled by a psychological infection which has overwhelmed some of our colleagues and compatriots in other ventures these past few days, should be responded to.

How we wish things did not turn out this way and we did not have to be as brusque.

Not doing so will provide the impetus for posterity to strike all of us, the bad and the good.

Following the dissemination of the tendentiously distorted import of our story and accompanying picture of the late PV Obeng’s demise by some persons who sit behind the microphone on television and radio, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) have sheepishly jumped into the fray.

We can hardly recall the last time that they issued a statement reprimanding a newspaper, a radio station or television station, the many media iniquities notwithstanding. But just imagine how they are falling on each other to loudly condemn us over this picture.

For the information of the allowance-starved NMC and a GJA for which organizing annual award nights supersede all other engagements geared towards enhancing journalism practice, a rethink of their terms of reference would be more useful than sheepishly playing to the gallery.

Their externally-induced statements are akin to a Rip Van Winkle scenario: they have been jolted into action from a slumber and without dissecting the subject being dangled in front of them like carrots.

Mr. Randy Abbey too was in the depths of the gutter. How sad! He would do himself some good by reviewing the conflict of interest he is mired in and abandon the headmaster role he has derisively arrogated to himself on television. Does he require details to appreciate where we are heading for? We would rather leave the hen in her feathers for now.

Many of the noisemakers are they whose only reason for jumping into the fray is because they have heard others doing same. Period!

We repeat unremorsefully that we did nothing untoward by our presentation of the PV story which to date remains the most vivid about what befell the deceased politician devoid of malice. We honestly feel that a mere publication of that picture under the circumstance of his death was appropriate and apt, devoid of any indecency, invasion of his family’s privacy or in bad taste.

Mr. Obeng’s death on arrival at the hospital from a petrol filling station is a story that has gained notoriety. If we capture a picture of his mortal remains being carried to the morgue, so far as we are concerned, it is part of the story of his death.

We contend that those who claim that it is offensive to their sensibilities have strange types of sensibilities which should not be imposed on all of us.

Some even talk of ethics regarding this issue. Our answer: pure nonsense. Period!

For those who have deemed statements from the feeble and wobbling organizations worthy of front page treatment, we can only congratulate them and wish them well. In a competition where they are losing readership even as they are assured of state directed advertisements such opportunities must be relished. We can therefore understand the source of their excitement.

One young lady still learning the ropes of a chaotic industry announced yesterday with an air of importance that she was suspending the review of the DAILY GUIDE on one of the radio stations. That tells how low some of these radio stations have descended, although they are full of themselves. Otherwise how can such a lass decide on her own at the spur of the moment, to suspend the review of a newspaper – over an issue she does not even understand? She also had the temerity to suggest that our CEO should sit up. How dare her! For her information and that of her bosses, we consider such reviews as counterproductive to our monetary fortunes and we would rather they were curtailed.

Again, we emphasise that we have not done anything wrong; but if indeed the bereaved family express worry over the publication of a silhouette picture, we shall not relent to say we are sorry.

However, those who have turned themselves into spokespersons for the family can go to hell.