Accra: Ghanaian media personality, Nana Aba Anamoah, has taken a swipe at the Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, following his concerns over a story featured on the front page of Daily Graphic.
According to Ghana Web, Dafeamekpor argued on X that a state-sponsored media outlet should highlight government achievements and positive developments happening across the country. He suggested that Daily Graphic could have prioritized coverage of President Mahama's visit to Europe to seek investments from British and Belarusian partners for Ghana. Additionally, he noted that the newspaper could have featured the Vice President's visit to flood-prone communities in Accra, rather than leading with the emergency industrial action by doctors at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) following the suspension of its CEO.
"This is the front page of the Daily Graphic. A government-sponsored newspaper that has, for some strange reason, decided to gloss over major positive government activities and instead focus on negative happenings," Dafeamekpor stated. He emphasized the importance of covering the President's investment-seeking visit in Europe and the Vice President's tour of flood-affected areas in Accra as major news items.
In response, Nana Aba Anamoah disagreed with Dafeamekpor's position, asserting that Daily Graphic is a media institution and not a government communications agency tasked with promoting government activities. She explained that while the President's and Vice President's activities are newsworthy, editorial decisions should be based on public interest and news value.
Nana Aba argued that the industrial action by doctors at KATH equally deserves front-page attention due to its direct impact on healthcare delivery and the lives of citizens. She emphasized, "The Daily Graphic is a newspaper, not a government bulletin. Its job isn't to amplify government achievements but to exercise editorial judgement and report what it considers newsworthy. Doctors going on strike affects healthcare delivery and potentially lives, that is undeniably front-page news. The fact that the President is seeking investment abroad or that the Vice President is touring flood-affected areas doesn't automatically make those stories more important," she said.