Sensational headlines dominate stories on corruption – Study
Sensationalism, limited follow-up efforts and ethically inappropriate headlines are some of the persistent problems with reporting on corruption-related stories in the country.
In addition, some of the stories on corruption were biased, opinionated, editing challenges such as language, context, coherence and single sourcing.
These were the findings in a Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) study on Media Coverage of corruption, transparency and accountability from July to December 2010.
Mr Sulemana Braimah, Deputy Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa, who conducted the study on behalf of GACC, disclosed this at a GACC engagement with members of Editors Forum Ghana, in Accra on Wednesday.
He said the study was a follow-up to earlier studies carried out in 2009 and first half of 2010 to ascertain whether or not there had been changes in the level and quality of media reportage on corruption issues.
Mr Braimah said the study was also to provide a basis and identifying areas for capacity building for journalists to enhance the media’s role in fighting corruption.
It would also enable GACC to continue the creation of a database on media reportage on corruption issues and using such data as a basis for anti-corruption advocacy.
He said in all, nine newspapers and two online media were monitored and 462 stories were coded within the six-month period.
Mr Braimah said the media maintained some level of sustained interest in covering corruption-related issues, however, what was important in anti-corruption reporting was how stories were reported or treated by the media rather than the number of stories reported.
“Overall, there was an improvement in the treatment of corruption-related stories; reduction in the percentage of straight news reports; marginal increase in percentage of investigative, follow-up and interview stories; appropriate use of photographs, and reduction in use of lengthy and wordy paragraphs,” he said.
He said during the period under review, there was a reduction in the number of corruption-related issues and prominence in terms of front page placement, while investigative and follow-up stories gained unsatisfactory marginal increased in percentage.
Mr Braimah therefore recommended that GACC, Ghana Journalists Association and other members of the Coalition should begin to look for better ways of effectively engaging with and integrating the media in their anti-corruption campaigns.
He urged the media to make deliberate efforts to effectively carry out its anti-corruption mandate.
Mr Berifi Apenteng, Media and Communication Consultant, speaking on the topic: “Strengthening the Media to Curb Corruption in Ghana: The Role of Editors”, stressed the need for the media to form alliance with organisations in the fight against corruption in their efforts to curb corrupt practices in the public sector.
He said, “As media practitioners, we need to check our own attitudes and ways of doing things in order to effectively check corruption.”
Mr Apenteng said the media did not fight enough for the passing of the Right to Information Bill, and although the bill was for the public, it would help the media as well in its work, adding, “In addition to their normal editorial work, media practitioners should get interested and advocate for such things in the public domain to facilitate their work.”
He said there was the need for greater skills and professional training for journalists to report effectively on investigative stories.
Mr Apenteng said corruption could be complex and stressed the need to train journalists in investigative reporting to achieve results.
“Investigative reporting needs devotion and sacrifice on the part of the journalists to achieve the necessary goal and some of these should be discussed at the Editor’s Forum to find the way out,” he added.
Mrs Florence Dennis, Executive Secretary, GACC said the overall goal of the forum was to engage Editors and Programme Managers of 20 media houses to seek their support to lead the media to fulfil their anti-corruption mandate.
She said it was expected that findings of the Media Monitoring Project disseminated to editors and key stakeholders in the media, establish a strategic partnership with the Editors Forum, solicit information on how the media could enhance their capacity in the anti-corruption agenda and collate information on how to engage the media for successful project implementation.
Madam Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, Chairperson of Editors’ Forum, stressed the need to “dedicate oneself in pursuing an issue to achieve result”.
“We need to pursue whatever we are doing until we achieve the desired goal,” she said and advised journalists to read wide to inform themselves very well to enable them do quality work.
Source: GNA