A small debate with a Journalist on the link between private opinion and professional ethics and standards: A monologue

A small debate with a Journalist on the link between private opinion and professional ethics and standards: A monologue

It is always hard to understand why journalists combine private opinions and official work in the name medium. The confusion is that it’s affects our perception of their objectivity and fairness in their official line of work. One such notorious journalist is Manasseh Azure Awuni who sometimes goes out on a tirade of hateful speech, denigrating and disparaging people. This generates a lot of backlash in cases where his stories have merit. Below is my encounter with Justice Baidoo of Multimedia.

He should learn from Kwaku Sakyi Addo. Big mind, big personality. Not swallowed by any topic. This guy is just exhibiting obnoxious behavior and small mindedness too often.

Why should the advice to learn gets too much and annoying? You see that is the issue. Everyone wants to settle into an impeccable scope of reference and still make a career of telling others what to do. And what is charitable? Do you know what I can tell you in response if you attempt to be uncharitable? Don't assume that arrogance is reserved for some! Try it! Just try it!!

You can't have freedom of speech if you can't respect the same. Just learn!

Good! Now you remember when Manasseh described African CEOs meeting in Geneva as all stupid. And many such infractions? Has he recognized that this is not journalism? Have you called him to order? So, if I say he should learn from folks like KSA and not "exhibit obnoxious behavior and small mindedness". That is in defence of free expression. He should have sought firsthand information from the CEOs before vilifying them. Maybe the idea of Nana Addo addressing that forum is what set off the outrage but that is where sensible broadmindedness come in. So, you and I cannot talk about what is charitable or not in this context. I used to like his activist journalism and the willingness to brave the odds in the pursuit of the truth like I cherished the craft of KSA for years. But the same person cannot degenerate into some sort of a spectacle that does not find considerate application of his force a virtue.

Interesting. You are telling me that If the priest who led me to salvation from my horrible life came to visit me at home. And turned out rap my gorgeous sister, I should not mix that apple with that orange? You see this is the decadence our society is suffering and it's getting worse. We have human right champions who are the worse of violent people in private, etc. This cannot be a sound argument. Integrity is virtue for all professionals. I cannot claim to be a fitness coach and yet everyone in my house if dying from overweight. I hope you get my bolt! Consistency is very important.

How do I trust the quality of the facts when the raw expression of your opinion appears to be far below the intellectual test of average person? That you will not miss lead people much of the time because that lack of quality the private sphere to the professional sphere? The Governor of Puerto Rico is under fire for the content of his private emails. Many journalist and public officials have lost their position for their private opinions. The is not space left for you Justice. Is there? This is not a campaign of self-rightfulness but there is a point for NMC and bodies like these to check ethics and standards because of human nature. We can all make mistakes out of character or even as part of character but must have the opportunity for reflection, learning and reformation.

The risk here is that a person who lacks integrity or as I stated earlier suffers from "obnoxious behavior and small mindedness" will easily pass off opinion as facts. Or project facts with bells and whistles that completely distort the understanding the people consuming the news will end up having. Sacred facts are communicated with consistency, clarity and integrity.

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NPP's Deception over the creation of the National Research Fund!!

NPP's Deception over the creation of the National Research Fund: While $5 million was wasted on the failed Black Stars and some $2 Billion is to be squandered on the Accra Trade Fair redevelopment.

This statement by a notable public intellectual set me wondering:

“When our rapacious politicians say there is no money it means there is money for them not for US “(Facebook: Lloyd Amoah)

I remarked that as I am sitting here, I am still monitoring the establishment of the National Research fund, but 3 years have passed. The minister education said in November 2017 that cabinet had approved the bill and it was on the way to the Parliament. There have been 3 missions to the moon since then by China, Israel and India. But the mission from Jubilee house to Parliament house in Accra both within 2 km of each and the mission is missing.

The government had managed to put some called Basic STEM in the budget to get something that sound like STEM. But this all deceitful antics. Many of their party loyalists have been point to this as good progress. The problem is that STEM happens at the University not in the basic schools. You have refused to set up 50 million dollars National Research fund but have found 100 million dollars for BSTEM. What kind of delusion is this?

GFA and Black Stars wasting 5 million dollars no a weak performance

We have just witnessed one of the most abysmal performances by our senior national team why still squandering some 5 million dollars in the process. Money, we do not have and as such very important national programs have had to discarded. This problem is sports funding can easily be solved because it’s a small of people in the team and they already have the perfect product to sell on their own to be self-reliant.  I therefore strongly suggest that we should privatize GFA and the National teams. Before any tournament they should play a series of friendlies and raise the money for their appearance in addition to sponsorship deals from corporations. Research in Ghana needs the funding, let’s stop wasting money and pretend there is no money, that is wickedness.

Re-development of Accra Trade Fair centre at a cost of 2 billion dollars

As if the black stars waste of public funds is not bad it enough, we are now hearing that Government as just found some 2 billion dollars to fund the redevelopment of the Accra trade fair centre. This facility has been mismanaged by subsequent governments since 1960 to date. The best idea is to give project to the private sector or provide private capital and set up a state-backed private company to execute the project. Government is too porous to be trusted with such a project. I can't see why this be done by the private sector or at least PPP? With 40% corruption means some 800 million dollars will go missing and what remains will be massively mismanaged adding to the public debt. This is not a social project that government must do at all costs. Weak and careless governments have plagued this country. And their recklessness is enormous. Everywhere you turn something untoward is happening. Now they want to engage in trade fair redevelopment that will cost 2 billion dollars. We will end up losing 10 billion dollars and the facility will still not be usable. We borrowed millions of dollars to build hospitals, Government has not found the money to operate them but can find 2 billion dollars for this facility that the private sector can readily develop. What is this attitude of systemic nation wrecking? Research in Ghana needs the funding, let’s stop wasting money and pretend there is no money, that is wickedness. Spend this budget 2 billion dollars on research and development in Ghana over the course of fives and the return on investment will exceed 30 billion dollars at the end of the 5 years. Test it!

TO ALL POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS: When YOU people go into government to come richer than they can ever be. Then you are not politicians or public servants you are criminals. We must enforce the property declaration law to stem the tide of people like you using public office just to enrich yourselves. The test for a patriotic politician should be the extent of their sacrifice of what they could have earned privately but forfeiting it for public service and the public good.  If your earnings from your previous job plus the projected income over the period in office for the same job cannot build you a 4-bedroom house. Then we do not expect you to leave your political office with that and more.

THE PEOPLE’S RESPONSE: We need to go to war on this. The state is there to do things that are impossible for every individual to do for him or herself. Like rising an army, building roads, hospitals, etc. The next phase of politics is going to see majority of us occupying corruption.

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Patrick Kobina Arthur (PhD),

parthur14@gmail.com