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Chairman of National Media Commission (NMC), Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, says Ghana lacks quality journalism.

According to him, despite the numerical strength of the media industry in Ghana, quality journalism was a problem.

“Indeed, the thing that appears to have eluded us in all these years of rapid media build-up is that elusive thing called quality journalism,” he said.

Mr Gyan-Apenteng made this observation at the re-launch of Today newspaper in Accra yesterday.

He explained, “I say it is elusive because it is difficult to define ‘quality journalism’ but very easy to spot when you see it. I will not tar all our media with the same brush because some media houses understand the need for quality and strive to achieve it but in the main, this is something that many, if not most of our media houses, appear to be unaware of, let alone strive to achieve.”

The NMC chairman maintained that there was a mistaken notion that quality journalism was based on a business model or models that correlate with investments and potential returns of the enterprise.

“For people who think like that they will spend a lot of resources on buildings, cars, fancy designs and a whole boatload of fleeting beauties that do not sustain any serious values. It is important to have nice looking premises, cars and ultra-modern studios and the latest tech gismos. But none of that will define quality,” he said.

Ghana, according to Mr Gyan-Apenteng, still has a long way to go if media practitioners want to reach a point where quality defines their journalism.

“It is well known that many radio stations are owned by politicians and journalists working in such establishments are compelled to tow the party line. In short such journalism will work for those whose interests they serve but in the long run, they undermine our common resolve to build our nation on the basis of democracy and social justice,” he maintained.

“We must strive for quality not only because it produces great intellectual, literary and cultural satisfaction, but more importantly, it sustains our democracy and provides the means by which we watch over those to whom we have entrusted the affairs of our communities and the state. This means that if the media turn themselves into appendages of political parties or other vested interests, no how well they do as businesses they would not be fulfilling their roles as the fourth estate,” the NMC chair appealed.

For her part, Senior Vice President of Groupe Nduom, Mrs Yvonne Nduom, called on journalists to go behind the news and bring out real topical issues which “are affecting the citizenry.”

She bemoaned the current state of the media landscape which have been turned into political talk shows, saying “media or journalism is not solely about politics. Media is to educate, inform and entertain, thus journalists must strive to meet these basic principles.”

“There are real societal issues such as poverty eradication, sanitation, health, economic emancipation, that need the media attention but unfortunately these issues do not find space on the front pages of the numerous newspapers or prime time discussion on radio and televisions shows.

“The political issues are so dominating that if you are a media house and you do not write or talk extensively about politics, then you are seen as irrelevant or non-existence,” she said.

Mrs Nduom therefore, called on journalists to read extensively so as to to enable them put out news that are current and relevant to the audience they serve.

In her welcome address, General Manager (GM) of Today newspaper, Mrs Vicky Wireko-Andoh, explained that the re-launch of Today newspaper was as a result of an impressive work that some dedicated young men and women in the team had committed to for some months now.

“Though we have stayed with our corporate colours, our talented young designers have given us a sexy looking masthead to make us look younger and in tune with what meet the eye.  Over the last three months, they have scanned through and borrowed ideas from newspapers from around the globe.  The result is the refreshing new design and layout.

The Chairman for the occasion, Dr Michael Agyekum-Addo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) KAMA Industries Limited, called on Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of being punctual always at programmes and events.

The CEO of KAMA Industries Limited bemoaned the late turn up to events and programmes in the country.

“So if you are always late to programmes or business date and you miss your targets and you do not make money, please do not blame anyone,” he said.

Dr Agyekum-Addo also advised Ghanaians as well as business owners and operators to see promotions as key ingredient in their scheme of strategies in order to sell their brands.