Research Work
By Kojo Kwarteng
Introduction
One of the distinguishing features of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana is its tacit devotion of the whole Chapter Twelve (12) to freedom and independence of the media. Articles 162 – 173 spanning four pages concentrate on this subject and justifiably helped in the deepening of the frontiers of journalism practice. Article 162 (4) unambiguously states that, editors, publishers and indeed journalists shall not be subject to the control or interference by any authority and individuals or penalized and harassed in the performance of the legitimate duty.
However, as human as they are, the Constitution anticipates breaches of national security laws, public order, public morality and for the purposes of protecting reputations, rights and freedoms of other persons. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) enforces its code of ethics in line with professional standards and development without restricting the growth of journalism in Ghana. However, some journalists in the discharge of their duty side-step rules, regulations and ethical codes and impose on themselves self censorship and destroy their values with repercussions on the journalistic profession and practice. This article looks at how gifts (soli) or motivation influence the effective practice of journalism in Ghana.
Abstract
The main purpose of this article was to document the acceptance of gifts or soli by Ghanaian journalists and to establish the reasons for accepting gifts or soli and the difficulty in stopping it inspite of it being an ethical issue. The other goal was to determine the impact of gift/soli acceptance on the performance of journalists. The study or article tried to propose solutions/remedies to soli or gift acceptance by journalists. To achieve the objectives,both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used in the study. Existing literature from 1992 to 2010 was reviewed. Out of 100 questionnaires sent out 86 were received and analysed. The study which was restricted to Accra, took two months to complete.
Media and Sustainable Development in Ghana
The establishment of the National Media Commission (NMC), vibrancy of the GJA, asserting of editorial independence, educational and economic empowerment, training, financing, GJA Code of Ethics, motivation and economic independence, the determination and assertiveness of journalists themselves and commitment to the truth are factors that enhance sustainable media and development. Anything in abrasion of these impinge on growth and development of sustainable media and development.
1
Research Problem
There is the notion that journalists in the course of their duty take bribes or are corrupted to influence their work. There is confusion over what constitutes gifts, corruption or bribe in the practice of journalism. Gift in journalistic parlance is referred to as soli and comes in the form of cash and given to reporters who are assigned to cover events (GNA, 2007). Brown envelops or soli, media appreciation or protocol, transport or motivation and black polythene are the terms commonly used to refer to gift for journalists and media practitioners
In Ghana, there have been reports and sometimes dismissals of journalists for breaching ethics or merely on the allegation of accepting bribes. However, not much is heard of journalists being prosecuted on this. They are easily sacrificed. Politicians, businessmen and women, top civil or public servants often make such allegations without offering much proof and because the journalism profession frowns on bribes or acceptance of gifts, professionals are disciplined sometimes without merit or justification.
There seems to be a misunderstanding or deliberate flouting of journalistic ethics, justifiable grounds for accepting gifts by Ghanaian journalists, the impact of this habit on the image/reputation of the journalism profession and performance of professional journalists. There have been a number of occasions when event organisers and the GJA Ethics Council and individuals including some professional journalists have expressed concern about this. Journalists themselves, GJA and event organisers have been, for long time finding it difficult to contain the situation. This work seeks to come up with solutions to this hydra-headed journalistic problem in Ghana.
Research Objectives:
The research has four clear objectives. These are:
a). The first objective of this article is to document the acceptance of gift or soli by Ghanaian journalists.
b). The second objective is to establish the reasons for accepting gifts by journalists and the difficulty in stopping it inspite of it being an ethical issue.
c). Another goal is to determine the impact of gift acceptance on the performance of journalists and media practitioners and
d). Lastly, propose solutions/remedies to soli or gift acceptance as ethical problem of the journalistic profession.
Review of Literature
The study reviews existing literature relating to knowledge of gift or soli in journalism, motives for giving or accepting or the persistence of the phenomenon, the negative and positive impact of gift taking or rejection on the performance and the image of the journalism profession, ethical values vis-à-vis corruption and bribery allegations against the media and recommendations or solutions to the problem.
Article 3 of the GJA Code of Ethics as at 2010 expressly stated that “journalists should
2
not accept bribe or any form of inducement to influence the performance of their professional duties.” Gifts in journalism manifest in the form of cash, personal business, paid trips, free tickets for shows, drama, special treatment, subsidies, aid, scholarship, favours and promotional items. In 2007 the interpretation of this article and attempt by the Ethics and Disciplinary Council of the GJA to enforce this ignited a bad blood between some practicing journalists and the GJA. Many journalist associations or institutions around the world encounter similar problem. There have been several research works on the subject but these are foreign. Chua (2009) reveals that corruption is widespread in community journalism and is systemic. Barber and Damas (2009) narrated incidence of twelve reporters who attended a press conference in Turkey with 10 of them each accepting an envelope containing $350. The other two rejected this gift or soli.
The acceptance of the envelopes provoked public outcry and the Journalists Union deplored the action of the 10 journalists. On July 20, the Punch newspaper reported that journalists released by kidnappers in Aba in Nigeria of what have now been the subject of deep controversy following their disclosure that their abductors robbed them of N3 million ($25,000). In their testimonies to their colleagues shortly in Lagos, the group, led by Wahab Oba, the head of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Lagos State and a staff of the Federal Ministry of Information and Communication, Adolphus Okonkwo of the Voice of Nigeria, Sylvester Okere of the Champion Newspapers, and Sola Oyeyipo, another Lagos-based freelance journalist, said the kidnappers took away the money from them as soon as they were carjacked and driven into the bush.
The paper said the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Godswill Akpabio, gave N1m as fulfilment of his promise to bankroll a national seminar in the State three months ago. Each NEC official was given N100, 000 as transport fare. These explanations constitute the first time that professional journalists are admitting in public to have collected bribes, in this case called “seminar bankroll” or “transport fare.” It is leading to a public gasp about the way journalists do their official business. Gokah, Dzoko and Ndiweni (2009) writes that corruption goes by different euphemisms in media organisations in Ghana, but the phenomenon has hardly been studied to understand its nature, content and context.
The problem of corruption, bribery and acceptance of gift according to Chua (2009) in community media is rooted in various causes including low wages, tolerance of the acts as practice in the performance of their duties and lack of awareness and training. GNA (2007) attributed the situation to “journalists not seeing anything wrong with accepting monies during assignments,” inability of GJA to stop event organisers from giving out money, poor salaries of media personnel and lack of means of transport by many journalists. Barber and Damas describe such events as causing embarrassment within the profession.
Koomson (2007) states that such practices are not only embarrassment to the profession but also undermines the cardinal principle of merit in news gathering, news judgement and presentation. GNA (2007) states that soli is a gift and not meant to influence the…