Dr Koomson appeals to journalists to analyse issues

Koforidua, May 12, GNA - Dr Anthony Bonnah Koomson, a lecturer at the Catholic University College of Ghana, has appealed to journalists to spend quality time to think critically and analyze issues well before publishing them.

He said the country was full of reporters instead of journalists, adding that most media persons had become "carriers of somebody else's message" rather than persons who should gather and disseminate news and information. Dr Koomson said this at a forum organized by the Eastern Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Koforidua to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day.

He said presently journalists hardly offered time in their profession to do in-depth verification on stories before publishing them. "The journalist is that professional who gathers and disseminates news and information. The gathering of news includes self-initiating coverage, cross-checking claims, verifying evidence and providing a contextual background," he said.

Dr Koomson said the difference between the reporter and the journalist was that the reporter operated on invitation whereas the journalist operated more on self motivation. He said a true journalist was contemporary and looked around all the time to feed the public with information of public interest. "The journalist, unlike the reporter, keeps himself/herself abreast of all on-goings so that he/she will be the first to break the news to the public. The self-motivating 91surveillance' role is completely missing in the job description of the reporter" he noted.

Dr Koomson reminded journalists that their mandate was for the public and that their primary description was to serve the public interest, not the individual's. "Journalists are accountable to the public and the public good, not a Regional Minister." He said press freedom was threatened by fear, poverty and corruption and that when journalists lived in fear they could not perform their duties creditably. Dr Koomson said when journalists lived in poverty and received low salary they surely would not perform well, adding that, corruption in all forms ranging from political control to the journalists accepting or soliciting 93soli" would not make them perform commendably.

"The modern journalist must know that the public, as ever, relies on the integrity of the individual journalist. The public is, therefore, disdainful of any coverage tainted by influence, real or apparent," he said. Mr Dan Botwe, the Member of Parliament for Okere, appealed to journalists to ensure development oriented media in the country and that they should offer time to do thorough investigations on issues. He said journalists should work for the benefit of humanity instead of the individual.