GJA urges media practitioners to be circumspect in reportage on John Kumah’s death

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has said that it is deeply concerned about media reportage surrounding the death of the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr John Kumah.

 According to the GJA, some of the reports are unprofessional.

 A press release signed by the General Secretary of the Association, Mr Kofi Yeboah said, “Although the media have a duty to inform the public about happenings in the country, including the death of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu, the GJA is extremely worried about, and disappointed in, the manner sections of the media have handled their reportage without due regard to the sensibilities and emotions of the bereaved family.”

The release dated March 15 noted that, “Having monitored the media space over the past one week following the death of the Ejisu legislator, and after a national executive meeting on Thursday, March 14, 2024 to review same, we hereby call on the erring media entities to stop their unprofessional reportage and attend their duty with the highest sense of circumspection, decorum and responsibility.”

The GJA therefore urged the media “to avoid partisanship, parochialism, ethical misconduct and anything untoward that may hurt emotions of people or the peace of the country. Also, journalists must refrain from engaging in unhealthy discourses that have the tendency to create tension and disturb the peace of the country.”

“In calling the media to order, the GJA finds it necessary to cite two broadcasters whose pronouncements on the death of Dr Kumah have particularly been an apology to ethical journalism.

In a scientific world, and as generally acknowledged worldwide, the means to establish cause of death is through autopsy or post-mortem by qualified medical officer(s).

Thus, the claim by the two broadcasters that the late MP died of food poisoning, without recourse to such well-established scientific verification, is unethical, dangerous and could lead to unimaginable and undesirable repercussions. Article 6 of the GJA Code of Ethics provides: “A journalist recognizes the public’s right to fair, unbiased, accurate, balanced and comprehensive information”.

Also, the choice of words by the two broadcasters such as ‘dogs’, ‘stupid’ and ‘silly’ to describe people on radio and television is vulgar, repugnant and pathetic debasement of ethical journalism. Article 24 of the GJA Code of Ethics provides: “A journalist shows good taste, avoids vulgarity and the use of indecent language and images”. Indeed, the use of vulgar and indecent language is not only an insult to the targets of their venom, but also to their audience to whom they owe a duty of decency and decorum,” the GJA further stated.

The Association therefore called on “owners of media organisations,  to rein in their unprofessional employees, while advising the general public not to patronize media programmes and platforms that are ethically unwholesome.”

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