GNA-Ghanaweb Wahala: Press Release

...An Attempt To Silence Ghanaweb?
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) published a press release on the 19th of November in which GhanaWeb is publicly accused of bad journalistic practices and thus suspended from paid news transmission service (Read). GNA’s press release, while ACCURATE, lacks several important facts.

Below is a detailed account of the sequence of events:

13 November 2003: GhanaWeb was abruptly suspended from the news transmission without an explanation. GNA sent an email to GhanaWeb indicating the decision to suspend the Agency's news transmission with immediate effect. No explanation was given.

14 – 17 November 2003: Ghanaweb sent 3 faxes and got a freelance journalist to visit the office of GNA, twice, for an explanation. Despite all these attempts, Ghanaweb was not given an official explanation for the action, except a verbal “we will do it in our own time”

18 November 2003: GhanaWeb decides to go public with the story. GhanaWeb sends a press release to GNA for comments. Immediately after our request, GNA comes out with a press release explaining the reasons for the suspension.

Note: Ghanaweb never got a SINGLE warning from GNA

GNA gave two reasons for taking such an action.

1. Ya-Na Issue

The press release refers to the erroneous article on the killing of Ya-Na Yakubu Andabi some months ago, which was voluntarily removed 3 hours after the error was detected.

GhanaWeb, like all other media houses (including GNA), made a genuine mistake and apologized. There is not more we can do about it. We see no reason why this matter should be raised in the press release, unless it’s GNA’s attempt to please someone.

2. Changing headlines

GhanaWeb is accused of the “crime” of changing headlines in order to “twist” the news. There are 2 reasons why headlines are altered.

• GhanaWeb is a website which requires shortened headlines for better readability
• Headlines are sometimes changed to fit the category of the story

It’s the second of the two reasons that has to be addressed. GNA gave only one example.

Again on Tuesday, November 11, Ghanaweb doctored a GNA story on: "Calm Returns To Teshie Cluster of Schools" to read: "Kufuor's Mother's Need For Blood Causes Outrage" and posted it on the "Toli Column" of its website, thus changing the import of the story.

This GNA story contained this rumour:

"The rumour had it that the mother of President John Agyekum Kufuor had been hospitalised and needed blood hence the exercise to test the blood to get the most suitable for her."

Consequently, the news team found it appropriate to move it to the “Rumour Mill” (Toli) and change the headline.

Changing of GNA headlines is nothing new. Almost all the media houses that subscribe to GNA news do it.

Ironically, GNA is also changing headlines. It would be recalled that GNA submitted an article on the 11th of November with the headline “Obasanjo Stormed out of Conference”. A while later GNA requested its subscribers nervously to change the headline to “Obasanjo leaves Conference” and on the 14th the ECOWAS issued a statement via GNA which explained in detail why Obasanjo left the Conference prematurely. The exact mood of the President of Nigeria seems to be of great journalistic relevance. Is this normal journalistical accuracy or is it an indication that the management of GNA is sensitive to political pressure?

GNA has earned its reputation through its numerous hardworking journalists, who do the groundwork according to proven journalistic principles. We do not understand the claim that GhanaWeb tarnishes the reputation of the GNA. GhanaWeb is the leading Ghanaian website on the Internet and by distributing GNA’s news over the borders we rather pay tribute to the institute.

It is no secret that the Freedom of Press in Ghana is under constant attack. The Government of Ghana has publicly attacked GhanaWeb on several occasions. High-ranking politicians are openly calling for “responsible” journalism, which is an euphemism for journalism with a “weak backbone”. An MP recently published a critical review on the new proposed laws on the freedom of information, which contains provisions for the criminal prosecution of those journalists who do not follow the “rules”.

GhanaWeb strongly suspects that the Ghana News Agency has been put under political pressure to pull the plug on the news transmission. The motivation by GNA that they have received angry calls is probably correct, although our sources tell us these calls came from elsewhere.

The reputation of the Ghana News Agency as an INDEPENDENT source of media is at risk. Ghanaweb has been around for over 10 years and no amount of intimidation will stop us serving the public