Don’t Be Compromised, CNA Urges Media

The Centre for National Affairs has asked the media, in the run-up to the December Elections, to remain objective in the discharge of their duties and not allow their judgments to be compromised by monetary inducements.

Mr Rocky Obeng, in a press conference held today at the Ghana International Press Centre, made this known.

According to him, his outfit has observed that some respected senior journalists who o were once known for their objectivity and critical analysis have suddenly seen nothing important about being critical of persons in government and the presidency.

“Our media research team is amazed at the findings where some of these respected journalists have metamorphosed into public relations officers for the presidency, if not the ruling party. Of course, they may have the right to do so, but CNA believes, in doing so, they would have most certainly compromised the sacred responsibility and the ethics of their profession,” Mr Obeng noted.

Mr Obeng also revealed that the Media Research unit of CNA has been inundated with complaints of about allegations of cash dole outs to key media practitioners, adding that this phenomenon has been “widely confirmed by Junior Practitioners who complain about editorial improprieties.”

Mr Obeng noted, regrettably, that CNA was not in a position to stop monetary inducements to such journalists. However, the policy outfit noted that it was in a position to publish research findings on journalists who have been induced by money, “in order to revive the volunteerism spirit practitioners of the profession have exhibited through very daring moments of our national life.”

The publishing of these research findings, according to Mr Obeng was necessary as the monetary inducement of media practitioners “is dangerous to the quality of good governance and the entrenchment of democratic values.”