According to an International Journalist, Mr. Luc Hermann who happens to be an Associate Director and an investigative television journalist in France, it is rare for a politician in France, to own a media and for a politician to do News, there should be total independence in the newsroom.
Hermann made this revelation in the ongoing curated programme in France, which featured some six Ghanaian journalists and bloggers in France, on an educational exchange programme, sponsored by the French Ministry For Europe and Foreign Affairs, through the French Embassy in Ghana.
Deliberating on News reporting in the political atmosphere, Hermann clearly stated that, it is highly complicated when the newsroom gets much pressure from the owner who happens to be a politician on the grounds that, certain news should not be allowed to come to the public domain.
He said;
“It is highly complicated when the newsroom has pressure from the owner of the newspaper. We did a documentary was very precise on how some Newsroom are under a lot of pressure from the owners not to report some stories, and we come out with another news that there is pressure on what is called, which is very tricky, auto censorship. It is a story that they will not report on.”
He further added that, politicians can however engage in News production for them to do so, there should be an exhibition of a total independence newsroom, that is devoid of any political affiliation and interests.
He said;
“If you are a big owner, politician or a business cooperation owner and want to do News, if you want to use media that does News, in order to have viewers, you owe to them that you have a totally independent newsroom.”
According to Hermann, politicians who own media houses in order to have viewers or a massive follower should subscribe to an independent News body, in order to be able to accommodate the interests of all the people and not a political line of people.
Unlike Ghana, most politicians who owns media stations only talks about their interests and rain destructive criticisms on the opposition, but there should be that balance for National development and sustainability to be met.
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