And the Media rested Aliu in Pieces...

As someone who multitasks between my everyday schedule and surfing the internet, specifically Twitter and Facebook, I was thrown into a state of shock when I logged on again after a five minute switch from the internet, only to be flooded all over with the sad and pathetic news of the Ex-Vice President Aliu Mahama’s untimely demise which never was.

All I could do was pout my mouth in an ‘oh’ shape and then join the bandwagon that was sharing the bad news even before I am made to feel like I am some light years behind information. I had to also prove that I was privy to timely information and it’s even sadder to note that, it is what we all did.

It’s alright and pardonable because that is how we share information lately, from people on our timelines who also copy  or read from other people on their timeline and the rest also source it directly from  credible websites such as Peace FM’s, Joy FM’s, Citi FM’s and other ones you can find around, coupled with the fact that we are not journalists, but what is unpardonable is when licensed and accredited media houses and journalists go virile with unfounded and incredible news which can best be described as a rumour.

I don’t think anyone needs a week introductory course in Journalism to establish the fact that common sense should guide anyone or authorized institutions with mandates to report accurate and timely news to its listenership and I would also like to tell all media houses who did not apply commonsense in the dissemination of a rather sensitive information such as this one, to bow their heads in shame and render unqualified apology to the Ex-Vice President’s family and the rest of Ghana as a whole for leading us on a wild goose chase because it was and still is heartbreaking.

They got everyone confused as you saw people going back and forth on which of the information was right; if he was really dead or still alive on life support. There was a section that had started expressing their condolences to the family and Ghana as a whole for losing another illustrious son and a section who was eulogizing him, not to talk about the ones chronicling all the bad things that had befallen our dear nation as they mention the death of the Late President Atta Mills, the Melcom tragedy and a section that was praise singing yet another prophecy come true of the Prophet T.B. Joshua.

It is a shame for a media house to engage in sensationalism without precision. Everyone was in a rush to break the mortal news so as to be given thumbs up without verifying the credibility of the news and ascertaining its veracity. Then you are tempted to beg the question, how did they get the information? Some news that can be retracted and sleeping dogs coaxed to go back to sleep but the death of a no mean person than an Ex-President; I think the media houses should have known better. How can we take them serious again? How can we tell another time if it’s one of their whims they were satisfying?

This same thing happened to the Late Asomdwehene until he finally gave up his soul, because he was tired fighting the media, as to if he was alive or not. He was reported dead severally when he was still alive and you are tempted to ask yourself, what would these people gain if he really was dead? Why are they quick to report sad news anyway? Smart chaps, innit?

The media and their overseers being the GJA must sit up and let the right sanctions be meted to those who are culpable of this gaffe and subsequent ones in the future. It is so because some mistakes cannot be accepted. Can you imagine if a mistake of such magnitude was replicated in medicine or Electoral Commission? That is why heads must roll when the fourth arm of the government, the units that have been tasked and equipped with resources to disseminate accurate information does contrary to their preamble, they shouldn’t go scot free.

Apart from their subjective and selective approach too real issues, their banner headlines too are usually worlds apart from what the news really is. Their misrepresentation of information just to appeal to the emotions of the people for their gains has become too much and this should teach them a lesson that we are tired of being taken for granted. 

It is easier for us to enjoy all the talks, but it is time we encourage and demand that the whips are cracked on anybody who does not act responsibly because it is becoming a canker eating into all facets of our Public and private institutions and somebody has to make them responsible for both their rights and wrongs.

On this note, I would like to wish the family of the Ex-President to stay strong and pray for him because the nation is behind them in prayers too and lastly, may he survive this bout in the name of the most High God. Somebody say Amen!