info@businessghana.com
Speakers at the launch of a new multimedia firm have expressed concerns about the current level of media practice and public discourse in the country.
They maintained that the prevailing trend of framing every issue along partisan lines, coupled with a lack of depth in public discussions were key issues that needed to be addressed.
The speakers lamented the dominance of partisan politics in shaping public narratives, noting that it often led to a polarised and less constructive discourse.
They included a stateman, Professor Stephen Adei; the Dean of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Law School, Prof. Ernest Kofi Abotsi; an Economist and Consultant, Kwame Pianim, and the Founder and General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Dr Mensah Otabil.
They were speaking at the official opening of Zed Multimedia in East Legon, Accra.
Launched last Friday, Zed Multimedia aims to deliver compelling and high-quality content across various platforms, including The New Finder Newspaper, Zed 101.9FM, Zed TV, Zedonline and Zed Tech.
The media house is committed to professionalism, integrity, diversity and innovation, with a focus on Lifestyle, Leisure, and Business (LLB) content.
The speakers emphasised the need for media houses to rise above political affiliations and focus on providing balanced, informed and unbiased information to the public.
Also, they highlighted what they referred to as the "poverty of knowledge" in the public sphere, despite the multitude of voices and information sources available.
They expressed concerns about the quality of public discussions and urged media houses to play a more significant role in elevating the level of discourse by providing well-researched and insightful content.
Prof. Adei challenged the management of Zed Multimedia to be a voice of integrity in the media landscape.
He emphasised the importance of guarding against misinformation and falsehood across all media platforms.
Prof. Adei urged the management of Zed Multimedia to take a strong stance against misreporting and intentional misinformation, highlighting the irreversible damage caused by spreading false information.
"Anyone who deliberately misinforms on Zed Multimedia must be fired because what goes out does not change.
You cannot change false information," he stated.
For his part, Prof. Abotsi expressed concern about the prevailing dominance of politics over the state.
He highlighted the challenges of recognising that the country was composed of both the state and political entities, emphasising the need for a shift in focus to address critical national issues.
Prof. Abotsi lamented the overpowering influence of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stating that the political landscape had overshadowed discussions about the future of Ghana's children and vital national policies.
When he took the podium, Mr Pianim stressed professionalism, balance, and dynamism.
“The media, the fourth estate of the realm, is critical for checks and balances and in any democracy, the absence of a vibrant dynamic media, committed to truth and integrity spells trouble,” the economist said.
He lamented the falling standards on the Ghanaian media landscape and the general societal decadence and prayed that “the coming of Zed Multimedia will change the narrative.”
Dr Otabil challenged Zed Multimedia to dare to be different in a heavily stereotyped media environment if it wanted to succeed.
He said the new media organisation would have to be extremely innovative and excellent to thrive in a media market that had already been defined, to become a media house of choice.
“You cannot rest one moment because the forces that drive your market are going to try to drive you to follow the general trend that everybody is manifesting," he stated.
The Communications Officer at the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Cynthia Prah, underscored the crucial role of reliability in Ghana's media industry.
She urged Zed Multimedia to stand tall with unwavering dedication to providing trustworthy, reliable and accurate information.
The Executive Chairman of Zed Multimedia, Nana Osafo Kantanka, outlined the media outfit's commitment to delivering a distinct blend of lifestyle, leisure, and credible business programming during the launch in Accra.
He articulated the vision of driving Zed into a global, ethical, sustainable media of choice, emphasising the goal of becoming the most respected entity in the media space.
