[ 2014-11-20 ]

Mahama justifies BNI invitation of Citi FM, Graphic bosses
President John Mahama has justified the
questioning of two top media managers by BNI
officials over the publication of the cocaine
arrest in the UK.

Speaking at a national conference on broadcast
pluralism, the President expressed disquiet about
what he says is the increasing ethical violations
being perpetuated by some media practitioners.

Citi FM boss, Samuel Atta Mensah and Editor of the
Daily Graphic, Ransford Tetteh were on Monday
invited and questioned by the BNI for publishing
that the Ghanaian lady arrested in the UK with
cocaine travelled on diplomatic passport.

According to the president, the publication lacked
proper research and fact-finding.

"A Ghanaian stumbles across this story on social
media. The broadcaster reports the alleged story
in total without fact checking and posts the
reported story on the station's website citing the
source as the Nigerian news website.

"A website that a rudimentary internet search
would within seconds prove does not actually
exist.

"You begin to see the dangers that this type of
journalism can pose to the society.

"Once it has been reported that this woman who is
not a diplomat is in possession of a diplomatic
passport, the Bureau of National Investigations
had to perform its duties”.

“As irony will have it, the primary function of
that institution is the pursuit of information for
the security and safeguard of our nation and its
citizens. In the investigations, the BNI narrowed
down the stories to the original source of
dissemination in Ghana to the Radio station and
the Newspaper."
On the contrary, the BNI invitation has been
criticised by some members in the media
fraternity.
The Executive Director of the West Africa Network
for Media Found Dr Sulemana Braimah said the
invitation was unacceptable, an action that could
only happen in Somalia and Afghanistan.

Source - MyjoyOnline

... go Back