Advertisement

•The new Graphic board members after the swearing in ceremony in Accra.Picture: SAMUEL TEI ADANO

New Graphic board sworn into office

The National Media Commission (NMC) has tasked members of the reconstituted board of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) to ensure prudent financial management to guarantee the sustainability of the company.

That, it said, was a prerequisite for all state-owned media to become really independent.

Inaugurating the board of the GCGL in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the NMC, Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, also charged members to seek the welfare of staff of the company and promote industrial harmony.

The members of the board, under the chairmanship of Professor Kwame Boasiako Omane-Antwi, include Hajj Mohammed Nii Kpakpo Addo, Dr Eric Oduro Osae, Mr Akwasi Owusu Agyeman and Ms Edith Dankwa.

The rest are Ms Elaine Sam Kwami, Mr Emmanuel Anyang Abeka, Mr Solomon Twum Barimah and Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, the Managing Director of the GCGL.

Mr Blay-Amihere said because news was a vital tool and oxygen of democracy, and given the fact that the state-owned media had a constitutional mandate to give a voice to all interest groups, they could not afford to allow industrial strife to deprive the public of information.

He reminded the boards of all state media that the independence of journalists was guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution, in spite of the broad functions and supervisory role of the NMC.

He pointed out, therefore, that not even the commission could exercise any control or direction over the editorial functions of a person engaged in the production of a newspaper or other means of communication, adding that “that rule applies to the board”.

Media independence

Mr Blay-Amihere urged the board members to acquaint themselves with Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution, which clearly outlines the rules of engagement for the media, and charged the NMC to, among other things, defend and promote press freedom and insulate the state-owned media from any governmental interference.

He said it was part of the NMC’s duty to ask the boards of all state-owned media to, on behalf of the NMC, ensure that the state-owned media were truly independent and faithfully represented the voices of all.

Graphic management, masculine

According to him, a report on the GCGL by the immediate past board, under the chairmanship of Dr Doris Yaa Dartey, established that the management was highly masculine.

Mr Blay-Amihere said the NMC, therefore, expected the new board to make a conscious effort to hire more women to diffuse the high masculinity to make it more inclusive and sensitive to workplace minorities such as females and the handicapped.

“Another challenge that should not escape your lenses is the Graphic’s coverage of regional news. All the four state-owned media have not reached out, in spite of their longevity, to cover the length and breadth of the country due to, among other reasons, limited staff in the regions,” he said.

He charged the board to surmount all challenges responsible for the inability to cover adequately regional stories and ensure that rural dwellers were given a fair access to the media.

Thank you

In his remarks, Mr Ashigbey expressed gratitude to the outgoing board for the immeasurable contribution it made to the progress of the GCGL.

He called on the current board to consider the financial structure of the company in an era of growing keen competition in the industry.

“In today’s digital and competitive world, innovation and working smart is one of our core corporate values. This is especially so as the rapid depreciation of the cedi is currently putting a lot of pressure on our margins,” he said.

Mr Ashigbey said the GCGL, in the face of a competitive, challenging and highly unpredictable industry, was not only determined to maintain its lead in the industry but also expand its frontiers in the coming years.

On behalf of the board members, Prof. Omane-Antwi said it would seek continued innovation and help build business models and operations that would deliver results.

 

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |