In the aftermath of the alleged brutal assault of the Daily Graphic journalist, Daniel Kenu, there has been uproar. The thrust of the arguments has usually bordered on the propriety of the question Mr Kenu asked.
Highly respected views have been expressed both for and against the propriety of the question and two key issues have played out — the relevance and ethical basis of the question.
For those who may still be in the dark as to what the issue is, the Daily Graphic journalist asked a question at the pre-match conference for the Black Stars match against the Cranes of Uganda.
The question was directed at Asamoah Gyan and was related to the disappearance of the musician Castro, apparently on the Volta River, during his visit to Ada with Asamoah Gyan and a group of others.
Kenu was reported to have invited the Black Stars captain to react to wild rumours relating to the disappearance of the musician, particularly as he had been placed at the centre of those rumours.
It is worthy to note that even among many journalists there is disagreement as to the soundness of the question.
Perhaps, that affirms the view that journalism is a very dynamic profession that has undergone many evolutions over the years and continues to undergo stages of flux.
In expressing this viewpoint, it is important to emphasise that this represents just another viewpoint; indeed, in the market place of opinions, it is almost impossible to identify a sacrosanct view, particularly when issues such as relevance of a journalist’s question and journalism ethics are the fulcrum of discussion.
Ethics
The argument has been raised that Article 16 of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Code of Ethics cautions that, “In case of personal grief or distress, journalists should exercise tact and diplomacy in seeking information and publishing.”
First, in assessing the ethical basis of the question, it may be reasonable to establish that ethics are not laws. In many cases, they represent an organisation’s or an individual’s own set of guidelines to inform decisions that are not appropriately addressed by laws.
Journalism Codes of Ethics are treasured as guides but the fact that there is no universally accepted code of ethics for journalism points to the very liberal and unpredictable nature of ethics.
Additionally, within country-specific codes of journalism ethics, there have been constant breaches. The individual or organisation has to assess whether a particular guide from the code is worth honouring on a particular occasion.
While the code is usually useful, it may not always be useful. Sometimes, the journalist or organisation has to weigh the pros and cons of honouring the code and make an appropriate decision.
Secondly, per the GJA’s own Code of Ethics, there is no prohibition of such questions. The advice is to proceed with tact and diplomacy. From reports, Kenu’s question was neither clothed in accusatory nor condemnatory garb; it was a call to clear his (Asamoah Gyan’s) name…to seize the opportunity and do justice to an issue that was damaging his reputation among a section of Ghanaians even if they were in the minority. It could have been better phrased but nevertheless there was nothing tactless about the question.
Relevance
The second issue that has been addressed is one of relevance of the question. Some have labelled the question “unprofessional” in that the press conference was one called for a specific cause and that was an Afcon qualifier pre-match conference.
That is one of the most surprising issues that have been raised. Such a viewpoint places journalism in a straight jacket, in a box! All over the world, both occasions and personalities make the news.
Indeed, it would have been rather lame on the part of the journalists, perhaps, even docile on their part, if none of them had had the boldness to ask the question, given the ugly noises that had been made since the disappearance of Castro and the mud that had been thrown at Asamoah Gyan.
One would have rather expected that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and Asamoah Gyan would have embraced the opportunity to clear the air and state the player’s innocence.
A journalist goes to a press conference with his or her own set of questions irrespective of the occasion and the expectations of the organisers of the press conference; those who address the press conference can also exercise their prerogative to choose what questions to answer.
When Komla Dumor of blessed memory had the opportunity to interview former US President Bill Clinton it was related to aid to African countries and the continent’s development issues, yet he managed to chip in a question about the presidential ambitions of Hilary Clinton though Hilary was nowhere near Bill at that particular time.
Also, when Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, then Governor of Bank of Ghana, appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament to be vetted for the Vice President position following the death of President J.E.A. Mills, and Vice President John D. Mahama had become President, Mr Atta Akyea asked a sensitive question bordering on the sexuality of the nominee; he called the nominee to seize the opportunity to clear the air, given the harsh media publications on the issue.
One would have expected the chairman of the committee, now Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, to overrule the question but he allowed it to pass; the nominee did justice to the question and the issue has since been laid to rest.
If the argument of relevance is dropped in, then what would have been the propriety or relevance of such a question? Yet, it was a call to clear the air and while Mr Atta Akyea did not ask the question in the capacity of a journalist, and this was neither a case of a pre-match conference, a useful parallel of “relevance of a question” can be drawn from that instance.
On Gyan’s case, given the media publications on the issue, the question was of high relevance to him as a personality and to the media, irrespective of the occasion. This was an issue which had been in the news; this is one of the personalities who had made the news and there he was before the press.
If the press failed to seize the opportunity to seek a comment, even if it meant asking whether he was in the right frame of mind for the match, considering all that had transpired in relation to Castro and the allegations that had been thrown at him, it would rather have been an indictment on the part of the journalists present.
Coming from Graphic it affirmed the view that Graphic was still prepared to set the pace. It tells us that journalism, despite the challenges, is not failing and there are still journalists who would dare to ask the most difficult questions in the most difficult times and conditions. So did Kenu err by asking the question? I believe it is a simple no!
Email:
