On October 14, 2022, religious leaders in Ghana who were spotted praying at a local galamsey site received a lot of slurs on social media. The media conveniently chose to release the footage of the prayers rather than the complete account of the visit, despite the religious leaders’ explanation of the purpose of the visit.
Following that, on October 17, 2022, religious leaders addressed the media and urged the government to outlaw galamsey. Unfortunately, unlike the film showing the religious leaders praying at the galamsey site, this news release did not garner the same amount of media attention.
One wonders why the media which is responsible for informing and educating the citizenry could behave this way and not tell the full story.
Every society’s media, but notably democracies like ours, must present facts in order to better inform the public. Additionally, it must offer a forum for the knowledge to be examined and discussed from all angles. On March 20, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Media Foundation for West Africa urged journalists against using sensationalism in their coverage of the epidemic.
The Foundation stated, “Journalists should reduce the use of sensational words and expressions in their reporting so as not to incite fear and panic. Media professionals must be vigilant in selecting images and videos that could possibly mislead or send the wrong message. Media managers must also be mindful that their platforms are meant to inform and educate”. But has the media in Ghana adhered to this directives?
Apart from the how the media treated the story on the religious leaders, there are other numerous stories in which the media choose sensationalism over the need to report the truth of the story.
I agree that it’s a typical tactic to use sensationalism to grab an audience’s attention. The concern is how frequently the media employs shocking language, exaggeration, and blatant deception. The ethical conflicts that sensationalism brings up with the journalistic code of ethics also raises questions about it. The exaggerated nature violates a journalist’s duty to be neutral and truthful.
It is the responsibility of journalists to inform the audience of the truth and avoid lying in their reporting. Sensationalism is incompatible with many moral standards in support of these strategies.
Sensationalism is the practice of sacrificing accuracy or decency in an effort to garner media attention or general public interest. Such incidents are sensationalistic, from using false headlines to disseminating false information. These publications’ effects on people’s lives personally can be felt.
When sensationalism is used in news reporting, I worry, because facts gets distorted and people can no longer trust the stories.
The National Media Commission must be worried in this digital age, especially in light of the term’s widespread use to describe content that is deliberately created to draw attention and seduce viewers.
The authors of the headlines are aware that they will suffer financial consequences if no one reads the content. This encourages them to choose a provocative headline.
Sensationalism will not fade away because it has become too ingrained in our culture. The interaction between those who create and those who consume material will always be complicated. The best course of action for us is to be wary of this information and work to expose the lies that are being told to us.
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, recently informed EWTN’s staff and associates during a dinner in Frascati, Italy, “The truth and the values deriving from it, must be fearlessly upheld.” The Media in Ghana at this crucial time, when we need all hands on deck in the fight against galamsey and to turn the economy around cannot resort to sensationalism in view of the dire consequences of this approach.
The Ghanaian people being aware of the magnitude of the task facing us as a country should be able to detect what a sensational story is by following the steps below:
Pick Reputable Sources
Consuming news from reliable sources is the greatest method to avoid falling victim to a sensationalist publisher’s trap. Do your homework and only read or watch news from sources with a good reputation for objectivity and impartiality.
Watch Your Social Media Use
A breeding ground for sensationalism is social media. Because of the way social media platforms are built, content that is unauthentic and emotionally manipulative frequently receives preferential consideration. Take everything you read or see on social media with a grain of salt to avoid believing fake news.
Identify clickbait
Clickbait is typically intended to entice readers with exciting headlines before letting them down with a dull or uninformative article. Clickbaiting is a popular method used by YouTube creators and social media influencers nowadays to increase their audience size.
Reason Critically
Thinking critically about the news you read is maybe the most crucial thing you can do to prevent sensationalism. Take a step back whenever you read or watch the news and consider whether the narrative is sufficiently plausible.
To sum up, the media, which is fully conscious of its duties to the public, must make sure that the truth—and facts—always win out in a responsible reporting environment since facts are sacred and opinions are unrestricted. For this reason, the National Media Commission must not ignore her mandate of monitoring activities of media houses in Ghana.
By: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Dolphyne
