Features
‘Peeping’ into the ‘thoughts’ of the Chief Justice
Just last week, the Chief Justice, Mr Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, made ‘landmark statements’ about the media in Accra.
Reportedly, he said : “The judiciary has no power or option of interfering with media freedom”, stressing that “Ghana must and will remain a bastion of freedom of speech.”
The caveat of the Chief Justice was, however; “we must urgently address the issues of standards and propriety in relation to court reporting, else we make ourselves vulnerable to misinformation that will mislead the citizenry.”
Chief Justice
GJA President
Justice Anin-Yeboah made these statements while inaugurating the Judicial Press Corps , besides launching a handbook for journalists on court reporting.
The Chief Justice added:”The media is not an enemy of the judiciary, rather the two entities are enjoined by the Constitution to fight for peace and development of Ghana.”
However, he cautioned media practitioners and other communicators to respect the sanctity of the law courts and assured that the courts will do their best to ensure the smooth operations of the media.
The fact of the matter is that none of the arms of government has any power or option , under our 4th Republican Constitution , to interfere with media freedom, free expression and freedom of speech.
Indeed, freedom of speech and expression is the lifeblood of any democracy. For instance, to debate and vote, to assemble and protest, to worship, to ensure Justice for all; all these rely upon unrestricted flow of speech and information.
Really, democracy is communication: people talking to one another about their common problems and forging a common destiny. And before people can govern themselves, they must be free to express themselves.
This column, however, whole-heartedly agrees with the Chief Justice that , “we must urgently address the issues of standards and propriety”, not only in relation to court reporting but also “high media standards” in all spheres of our media industry.
As modern societies grow in size and complexity, the arena for communication and public debate is increasingly dominated by the news media and this time round, the social media.
The news media in a democracy have a number of overlapping functions . One is to inform and educate.
A second function of the media is to serve as a watchdog over government and other powerful institutions in the society, including the judiciary.
By holding to a standard of independence, objectivity and fairness; however imperfectly, the news media can expose the truth behind claims of governments and hold public officials accountable for their actions.
If they choose, the media can also take a more active role in public debates. For instance, through editorials or investigative reporting, the media can campaign for specific policies or reforms that they feel should be enacted.
Analysts point to another important role of the media: “setting the agenda”. Since they cannot report everything, the news media choose which issues to report and which issues to ignore.
In effect, the news media decide what is news and what is not news. Such decisions, in turn, influence the public’s perception of what issues are most important.
Readers, not many people, including our Chief Justice, may argue that the news media always carry out their functions responsibly.
Many journalists, who are “messengers of news” , may also aspire to high standards of objectivity and fairness, but the fact of the matter is that, in some cases, news is inevitably filtered through the biases and sensibilities of individuals and the enterprises for which they work.
The reality on the ground is that, news can be sensational, superficial, intrusive, inaccurate and inflammatory.
And the question is: what should institutions of state do in cases where the news media or other organisations abuse freedom of speech; with information that in the opinion of the majority, is false, repugnant, irresponsible or simply, in bad taste?
It may seem a paradox but some advocates of free speech claim that the solution is not to devise laws that set arbitrary definition of responsibility or to license journalists, but to broaden the level of public discourse so that citizens can better sift through the chaff of misinformation and rhetoric to find the kernels of truth.
Indeed, the “supersonic change of the world” is revealing but in 1919 a distinguished Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America, Oliver Wendel Holmes stated: “The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market.”
An American essayist, E.B White, puts it this way:”The press in our free country is reliable and useful not because of its good character but because of its great diversity.
“As long as there are many owners, each persuing its own brand of truth, we the people, have the opportunity to arrive at the truth and dwell in the light.”
So, My Lord Chief Justice, as you rightly stated; the media is not an enemy of the judiciary, the two entities are enjoined by the Constitution to fight for peace and development of our country.
The only snag here, in my view, is that the seemingly ‘germinating’ social media ‘terrorism’ in the country should not ‘infuriate’ the judiciary to sew “terrorism gowns and wigs” to counterbalance the irresponsibility of the new phenomenon where fake news is on “unstoppable” ascendancy.
Contact email/ WhatsApp of author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
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Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you are trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved. Last week we looked at three and this week is the remaining four steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
4. Find common ground
The best way to handle workplace conflict is to start with what you can agree on. Find common ground between the people engaging in conflict. If you are directly involved in the conflict, slow down and focus on results instead of who’s right.
If you are the mediator for conflict resolution between coworkers, observe the discussion and help point out the common ground others may not see.
5. Collectively brainstorm solutions
When deciding how to handle workplace conflict, it can be tempting to problem-solve on your own. Sometimes, it feels easier to work independently rather than collaboratively. However, if you want to achieve a lasting resolution, you will need to motivate your team to get involved.
Brainstorm possible solutions together, and solicit input from everyone involved on the pros and cons of each option until you settle on a solution that feels comfortable to everyone. This will help all team members feel a sense of ownership that can help prevent future conflicts.
6. Create an action plan
Once you have created an open dialogue around workplace conflicts, it is time to resolve them. Just like any other work goal, this requires creating a concrete plan and following through.
Create an action plan and then act on it. It does not matter what the plan is, as long as you commit to it and resolve the conflict as a result.
7. Reflect on what you learned
All conflicts offer an opportunity to grow and become a better communicator. Identify what went well and what did not.
Work with your whole team to gather learnings from the conflict so you can avoid similar situations in the future.
Today, I continue with my narration of personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland, with a focus on Mr Joseph Osei Amoah.
Mr Amoah is one of the senior members of the Ghanaian community in Finland and a top member of the Ghana Union Finland, an association of the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
He is an active and a well-respected person in the Ghanaian community in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah moved to Finland in the mid-1990s, and he has lived in Helsinki all this time.
Accomplishments and honours
It is important to recount accomplishments as part of the success stories of the personalities of Ghanaian descent in Finland in order to highlight their exploits both within the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.
Mr Amoah holds a Master’s degree in Demography from the University of Helsinki. At the time he came to Finland in 1994, he had majored in Economics at the Bachelor’s level at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Sometimes affectionately called “Chairman” in the Ghanaian migrant community, Mr Osei is a former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) branch in Finland, assuming office around 2015, a few months after the branch was formed, until 2019 when he did not run again for the elections. He helped to bring vibrancy into the NPP Finland branch.
Religious life
Mr Amoah is a prominent member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland. In spite of his busy working life and other responsibilities, he remains a committed member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland.
He plays a key leadership role in the church, which is attended by many Ghanaian migrants and other African migrants, Finns, and those of other nationalities.
His position in Asanteman Finland
Mr Osei Amoah is an outstanding member of the Asanteman Finland, where he is the Gyasehene, a prominent position as a sub-chief in the Asante (and Akan) royal hierarchy, in the functioning of the traditional authority systemgenerally in Ghana.
The Asanteman Finland is an association formed purposely with the aim of supporting each other as well as to ensure unity among its members and others outside of the group.
One of its top priorities of Asanteman Finland is to display the Asante culture in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah finds this as very important since by upholding the traditional culture and heritage, the association enables its members and especially the young ones to get the chance to learn and appreciate Asante and Ghanaian cultural values. They do this through rites such as marriage, the naming ceremony, and death and funeral rites, which makes the people to learn more of their provenance and not forget their origins.
“My point is that, by displaying the traditional heritage it helps people to learn more about their provenance. For, I think it will be embarrassing to go home and see that even the young ones have much knowledge about how to perform certain rites whilst those of us in the diaspora may be deficient in understanding those practices”, he argued. It is also very important for the young ones who are born in Finland to learn what the culture of their original society is, he continued.
The Finnish educational system
Mr Osei has a lot to say about the Finnish educational system, which he sees as very good. “When we came to Finland, education was free. There were library books and manuscripts readily available in the library, and one could print or make as many photocopies as possible for your studies. There was more flexibility. One could read books and write exams on them for the necessary grades in order to complete your studies”. In his opinion, Ghana could learn much from the Finnish system, which is one of the best in the world.
He said the only initial challenge he found in Finland was how to master the Finnish language, without which it was difficult to get a job befitting one’s status after the studies. But things have changed today and there are many English courses so it is easy to study and get a job that matches your studies, especially in the area of ICT, he said.
His role in the Ghanaian community
Mr Osei Amoah has been very active in the Ghanaian community, as I have indicated earlier. He is still very active in the Ghana Union Finland, and has played a leadership in many functions organised by the Union, as a non-governmental organisation for the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
Mr Amoah has been a counsellor and mentor who has guided many young Ghanaian migrants on their career paths and has also been part in settling various kinds of conflicts between opposing parties or persons. In conclusion, I would say Mr Osei Amoah has succeeded in embossing his name in the golden pages of visionary Ghanaians in both Sweden and Finland.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
