A Professor of Political Science with the University of Ghana has said the annual media encounter by successive Ghanaian presidents has outlived its usefulness and must be abolished as a matter of governance policy.
According to Prof. Ransford Edward Gyampo, the presidential media encounter has over the years been reduced to a mere talking point and serves as a propaganda tool for incumbent governments.
The lecturer was speaking in reference to Wednesday January 17, 2018 edition of the media encounter by President Akufo Addo to mark one year of his administration.
This is the second time the President is meeting the press since he ascended the Presidency on January 7, 2016.
A similar exercise was conducted in July 2017.
But Ransford Gyampo insists, ‘since president Kufour (John Agyekum) initiated the media encounter, every other president has continued to hold it without introducing new dimensions to it.’
‘It appears the questions and answers are already prepared before the main event and besides I don’t see the journalists present vigorously interrogating government programs and policies.’
He adds, ‘the media have since the inception of this encounter been used as a tool to propagate government’s agenda, and to praise the government, no serious engagement goes on there.’
Source: Daily Heritage
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Journalists asking baby questions does not mean we should abolish the meet the press encounter.... We have to start from somewhere and improve......and help the journalists to ask the most relevant questions......Those calling for its abolishing do not understand democracy.... Others are looking for such opportunity to ask their presidents questions and does not have such opportunity.
The professor is right. Do you think if Stephen Suckar was in that room he'll ask those baby unprepared questions throw at the president? It's a shame when professionals behave like that. At a time when they are supposed to shine, they behaved as if they were in the presence of Jesus Christ or something like that. They came to rather pay allegiance to the president than come to subject him to serious questioning on issues that are dire to the development of the nation. Nobody even dare ask about the challenges facing his implementation of Free SHS and the kids that have died from an illness we still are not sure off. What a waste of time!
This Prof is an NDC sympathizer..... If you think you are Prof and you have the most brilliant question to ask the president you can send it to a media house to ask on your behalf as Kojo Yankson did. Any opportunity to ask the president questions must be encouraged and not abolished as this so called Prof is demanding.
Prof gyampo, you cannot be a fair assessor of the prez encounter with.the media. The reason is simply that from day one, you have never been an admirer of the current govt. You have adequately displayed open hatred for nana addo and his administration. Hence your views and comments about the performance of this govt cannot be based on principles and facts. Simply put statements made by you as regards prez akufo addo's performance should be distegarded.
Aaaah what an 11diot of a Professor
Prof. With all due respect if that means nothing to you, we the ordinary and the media people value it and will always ask for more of it. I
A Prof. of political science talking like this. Prof. Gyampo must understand that any opportunity offered to people to quiz the president of the land must be upheld and improved and not discontinued. Prof. please come again. This idea is anti-democratic.