As I spent time reading through parts of the court judgment that has thrown into the fray, the
latest lingo, “INVESTIGATIVE TERRORISM”, my mind arrowed in the direction of the
bible verse that reads; “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun”. Ecclesiastics 1:9 (New International Version).
Whichever metaphor you choose to use; Media Tyranny, Tyranny Of The Press, Press
Oppression, Media Dictatorship; there has, and always shall be, extreme terrorism by a section of
the media worldwide.
Hiding behind Press Freedom, there is no denying the fact that sections of the media have
dangerously sunk the freedoms of innocent people/institutions and destroyed reputations as well
as lives.
All over the world, just as ALL other professions are dotted with, quacks, fakes, and charlatanic
elements, so does the media harbour same.
There is NIO WAY the media can claim piety nor waltz in the music of high puritanical octaves.
The media is made up of human beings and its fallibility is gnawing just as it exists in all other
professions.
There are charlatans who are walking in the media space with a “get-rich-quick” mentality, and
the landscape is strewn with extortionists and blackmailers who do not give a hoot about the
ethics of the profession with brazen conscienceless bravado.
The ability to write, the ability to string sentences together, the ability to sit behind the consul, is
enough to make a person walk around with the tag “Journalist”. Is it the same for all other
professions? No!
Having been actively orbing in the media realms locally and internationally for close to 30 years,
I have at various times copiously made my thoughts known on the issue of Media Tyranny, and I
detest it without any equivocation.
The media hates to be told to the face that tyrannical elements exist in its midst and that when it
gains satisfaction in chewing the meat of others, it should know that its meat is also on the
butchers’ table.
Especially with New Media, the Media Terrorism is even more excruciating because the Media
Mercenaries do not have to struggle to ply their immoral trade; all they have to do is to find easy
access to the internet and, bingo, they can strike at any target with glee.
Attempt to speak pointedly to the ills of Media Terrorism, and you will be branded “anti-media”.
Before you can even finish your sentence, you will be told that you are “gagging the media” and
preventing “freedom of speech”.
You have your freedom to speak but I do not have the freedom to defend myself huh?
What makes the Media think that it is beyond reproach or criticism?
Is the Media a sacrosanct institution? Certainly not!
Self-censorship is a must because the Media must be able to hold its own accountable and call
out persons who need to be called out.
Just as all other professions are supposed to be noble (with a few exceptions), the Media is also
supposed to be populated by noble persons and the ills bedeviling the profession must not be
swept under the carpet – because the carpet will always be raised at various points in time and
the dirt will be exposed.
For sure, there is no need to get lost in a labyrinth of misty theories and postulations about what
is wrong and what is right.
What is wrong is wrong; and what is right is right. Finito!!!
Nobody can downplay the heavy importance of the media. Indeed, it is the heavy importance of
the media that makes it imperative that lots of soul-searching is done to clamp down on all forms
of Media Tyranny – and its new descendant, Investigative Terrorism.
As earlier stated, the recent judgment by a court in Ghana has triggered this write-up but I am not
interested in the legalese of the matter, as to whether the judgement was right or wrong or
whether it is proper for people to be masking themselves or not.
The fundamental question is: does Media Tyranny exist? Yes it does!!!
Is Investigative Terrorism a Descendant of Media Tyranny? Yest it is!!!
I have run my corn aground …
Samuel Koku Anyidoho
(Founder and CEO, Atta-Mills Institute)
[email protected]