NMC AND GJA challenged to bear teeth to rid off quack Journalists

09-02-2011
Narration: The National Media Commission (NMC) and the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) have been challenged to collectively purge the system of self acclaimed media practitioners who find their way into the profession just to satisfy their selfish means. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who made the call stressed the urgent need for the professionalization of the journalism profession so as to protect the profession by licensing journalists in order to rid the society of unscrupulous individuals, who deliberately and maliciously exhibit their ignorance, thus bringing the name of the profession into disrepute. Mr. Woyongo was interacting with over 90 students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism at the residency of the Regional Coordinating Council in Bolgatanga. Isaac Asare has the rest of the story for Radio Ghana.
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According to Mr. Woyongo the visit of the students to the region would help correct the erroneous perception that people have about the deprived areas of northern Ghana, where majority of the people still wallow in abject poverty due to factors such as illiteracy, drought and desertification, harsh prevailing weather conditions as well as ethnic and chieftaincy disputes among others. He said though the region is regarded as the second poorest in the country, it can boast of its rich cultural heritage and beautiful artifacts which he noted cannot be over emphasized. The region, he added also abounds in rich mineral resources such as gold, granite, beautiful landscape, and interesting tourists attractions. According to Mr. Woyongo, most of these untapped resources when developed would help in alleviating the plight and suffering of the people residents in the three regions of the north. He said government recognizing the level of poverty and the peculiar nature in the savannah regions of Ghana, has established the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to develop strategies for implementation to address the yawning developmental gap between their southern counterparts. Mr. Woyongo however entreated the students to exercise their profession with circumspection after completion and always portray the good things about the north to ensure its development. Mr. Woyongo pointed out that the country’s media landscape is beginning to lose its credibility due to irresponsible, bias and unethical reportage exhibited by persons who pose as journalists without any qualification and license to operate. Such persons, he stressed, have taken advantage of the country’s enviable democratic dispensation to tarnish the image of organizations and individuals of high repute. Mr. Woyongo reminded the students to keep to the standards and code of conduct of the profession and not follow the path of unprofessionals. He implored them to do thorough investigations into issues that are brought to them before disseminating it to the general public. He emphasized that any false publication has the tendency of denting a person’s image for life. Mr. Woyongo charged the NMC and the GJA to weed out quack journalists from the society by monitoring their activities with keen interest. He however underscored the need for the two independent institutions to professionalize the profession by issuing license to only qualified ones. He paid glowing tribute to the management and staff of GIJ for nurturing high calibre of students who are currently setting standards in the profession as compared tn other institutes elsewhere in the country and beyond. One of the students, Master James Amo, who later spoke with Radio Ghana expressed appreciation to the Regional Minister for the warm reception and pledged on behalf of his colleagues to exercise their profession with circumspection after completion.
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