The Jamal Propaganda Theory

The Information Services Department (ISD) is in its lowest ebb since it was established, leaving its credibility a shattered mess. It is regrettable that such an important state agency would suffer from the misguided tongue of a government propagandist, having performed its critical role of disseminating information from the nooks and crannies of the country over the years without blemish. Information reaching Daily Guide suggests that some staffers of the establishment are sulking over the recent utterances of Deputy Information Minister Baba Jamal directing them on how to perform their roles and the need to exaggerate same for public consumption. One should not be a communications expert to appreciate the level of damage the Jamal theory of propaganda has inflicted upon the ISD and indeed news emanating from government sources. They are stories exaggerated which lack sincerity and integrity. It is amazing that a fortnight or so since news about the effusions hit the media scene, it continues to resonate across the country, robbing the information officers of the little integrity attached to their bones. Their predicament is therefore understandable because the information they churn out will henceforth be taken with a pinch of salt. As for the various newsrooms of media establishments, stories emanating from district information officers will either be killed or subjected to a heavy editing for lies about sheep becoming cows. Such stories, in view of their contamination by the Jamal theory of propaganda, cannot pass the authentic test. The Jamal theory, which states that stories be exaggerated to make government look good as the country inches towards the 2012 elections, is perhaps one of the most nauseating to emanate from a government official. The information officers are unhappy and rightly so about the repercussions of the deputy minister�s remarks when he hosted them. The import of the remarks is now being digested by political animals and the various interpretations are anything but good. Although he sought to douse the seriousness of the remarks by describing them as mere points of humour, or put bluntly a joke, we think it went beyond that. He had poured out his heart, period! It is for Ghanaians to analyse the contents and advise themselves accordingly. Elections are billed for next year and district information officers are expected to support the government to look good so they can retain power. His admonition presupposes that the information officers who are government employees, are serving the interest of the ruling NDC and really not the state as Baba Jamal sought to portray. Indeed, there is a touch of contradiction here. In one breath, he describes the staff as employees of state and in another, he tasks them to work towards having the ruling party retain power in 2012. When statecraft is reduced to puerile propaganda as being choreographed by the likes of Baba Jamal, all we can do is to ask Ghanaians to consider the unfolding drawbacks in governance and resist being toyed with by desperate government functionaries whose hallmark is shameless lies.