Modify Newspaper Reviews � Graphic

The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) says it strongly disapproves of the way radio and television stations review newspapers on their programmes. According to a statement signed by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Albert Sam, and issued by the management of the company, the newspaper reviews were gradually affecting the print media industry. �We acknowledge that the newspaper review programmes mutually benefit the newspaper companies and the radio and television stations if they are limited to the headlines and maybe the introduction of the stories,� the Managing Director of the company, Mr Ken Ashigbey, said of the newspaper review programmes in the electronic media after an impact assessment of such reviews the company did on the industry in Ghana. He explained that limiting the reviews to headlines and the introduction of the stories would drive audience to the radio and TV stations for headlines of the day, which then would lead the viewers and listeners to follow up to buy the papers for the detailed stories. In Ghana, the newspaper industry faces a double edged-sword that affects its survival � a growing social media that break stories in real time and an electronic media that review its stories from cover to cover. The MD lamented the situation of reading newspapers cover to cover and discussing their contents on radio and TV � a situation which took away the motivation for people to buy newspapers. Impact on the larger society �This does not hurt the business of only newspaper houses but also has very dire consequences on the vendors and agents who make their living off the newspaper industry. �It is important to note that these reviews are killing economies spread throughout the country, especially in the smaller towns where these vendors and agents do not have any other business other than the newspaper sales,� Mr Ashigbey said. The effect of this manner of newspaper review, he said, went beyond low newspaper sales to poor reading habit among the people, which had dire effects on our educational system and the development of the county in general. He called on the electronic media to take a second look at the way they used newspaper content to their advantage, at the expense of newspaper companies. �For its part, the GCGL calls on all other newspaper organisations to join hands with us to engage electronic media operators in a discussion for mutually beneficial use of our content,� he said.