The commissioner who was speaking at the 10th Anniversary celebration of IMANI Ghana, question the credibility and integrity of journalist who requested a "parting fee" or "soli" before publishing their reports on events.
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High Commissioner Calls For Less Hypocrisy Amongst Journalist
Congratulating Ghanaian journalists and media earlier today, The UK High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Jon Benjamin couldn't help but point out certain flaws he had noticed.
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The Commissioner insisted that the reportage and coverage of news was the primary job of the journo and any issues with "solidarity" and payments was llikely a corrupt act.
Solidarity is a form of payment some journalist request before publishing or even covering events. This is usually explained as cost of travel to the venue of the event, a cost HE Benjamin should be bore by the journo and/or his employers.
He also hinted that for Ghanaian journalist who are so quick to pppoint out corrupt practices amongst government officials, he found it "hypocritical" to ignore these actions of corruption amongst themselves.
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“If those journalists who pride themselves on reporting corruption in others, then ask for unofficial payment for themselves, isn’t that a touch hypocritical?”
He insisted that an event or story is either intrinsically newsworthy or isn’t and that once someone pays for it, it is advertising and not journalism.
“At the very least”, he stated emphatically, “you know, now that you will never receive any ‘soli’ from the British High Commission”.
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