News:
July 11, 2018
President of the West African Parliamentary Press Corps (WAPPC), Andrew Edwin Arthur, has urged Journalists reporting from Parliaments within the West African Sub-Region not to throw professionalism to the “dogs”.
According to the President of WAPPC, some recent developments is eroding the pride the media holds as the fourth estate of realm and gains made two decade ago.
“In the past the marginalized in society were able to run to the media, but that cannot be said of the media today because of some developments and changes”, he said
He further added that politicization and polarization of the media have become endemic, such that media practitioners have compromised their professionalism with impunity for anything that gives them personal comfort.
He made the observation at a two day media symposium and summit of the West African Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra, that brought together participant from Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, Togo and Bennie.
Again he noted that this has affected the influence and trust of the media, “a thing that must stop else we risk losing the pride of place as the fourth estate of the realm”, he lamented.
Mr. Andrew Edwin Arthur further added that, for a sustainable democracy to grow strong there is the need for a vibrant media to hold Members of Parliament accountable to their mandate.
In recent times some MPs fail to attend to sittings deliberately, they would rather chose to engage themselves in their private activities there by denying their various Assemblies from forming quorum to conduct business on the floor of the House, he said.
The Media that operate in our various Parliament have closed their eyes to this development, while the MPs continue to do this, “the question is what is the role of the media in helping curb such practices whiles eroding the gains made over the years?”
A case in point is when a particular media made it a point to draw attention to the attendance of MPs as well as those who were in the House to warm the seats; this caught the attention of Ghanaians.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com