Features
Media aiding an already failed system?
Democracy and the media are like the two sides of a coin. One cannot work without the other. For a country to develop economically, socially, and politically it has to be built on democratic and an independent media. It is, therefore, important for us to note that a well-structured, effective and independent media is the backbone of a country that tends to ensure good democratic practices.
The media have the responsibility to inform, educate, act as a watchdog, entertain and to create a platform where people can share their views and opinions.
It is quite fair to acknowledge the fact that the media have done an incredible job over the past few years. But with current happenings in the country, little could be said in that regard.
In my view, the media to a large extent have failed in performing some of their important functions; with regard to providing information to the public, the media has put too much emphasis on time such that they tend to publish inaccurate, untruthful and unbalanced stories. Speed is now of importance than accuracy.
Media houses are in competition as to which media house publishes what first, it looks like there is not enough time to check for facts and accuracy.
Even though people are always eager to read fresh stories, they would prefer to read them with facts, accuracy and truthfulness. Arguably, the media are not doing much in terms of educating the general public on issues happening in the country. Little education is given to the general public with regards to government policies and initiatives.
There is little or no in-depth analysis and investigations on national issues that will help the ordinary Ghanaian to understand what is happening in the country.
The Ghana Power Generation Company (GPGC) dragged the Government of Ghana to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) after an official termination in 2018, demanding compensation from the government for a breach of contract.
The court subsequently awarded the company an amount of $170 million to be paid by Ghana. A country already in debt is likely to be greatly affected by this judgement debt yet little is known with regard to how this debt will affect us financially going forward. Worryingly enough, majority of the Ghanaians do not even know how this debt came about, the implications of this debt on our already broken economy.
The media have done little in educating the general public on how serious this debt will affect the country. The president’s decision to rent a private jet for his international duty was not treated seriously by the media putting into consideration the fact that the country is in distress and the citizens are calling on the government to fix the country.
Parliament decision to approve loans to purchase vehicles for themselves was treated lightly by the media knowing the implications it will have on the economy.
The truth of the matter is that the system has failed the ordinary
Ghanaian. When I say the system, I mean the government, the legislative arm is known to be full of lies and fake promises making sure the rules always favour them. The Executive is known for formulating policies and initiatives that tend to enrich them at the end of the day.
The judiciary which is known for holding the sacred duty of ensuring justice cannot be trusted by the ordinary Ghanaian because justice can be ‘bought’ and the law always favours those in authority. It is, therefore, the duty of the media as the fourth estate of the realm to stand their ground and work in the interest of the people, giving voice to the voiceless, holding the government accountable to the people by bringing to light the wrong doings of government officials which tend to affect the country negatively.
I believe the only way the media can help in promoting accountable journalism is by publishing accurate, factual, and balanced information and this can be done properly by paying less attention to timeliness.
The media have the power to change the destiny of a country and I believe the Ghanaian media have what it takes to change this country into a better one.
Student, Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) Email: Sowah.daniel590@gmail.com
By Daniel Sowah
This week I have a very strong desire to put on my Apostolic Cap and talk about the power available to children of God which we can utilise to generate positive outcomes, in our lives.
There is a phrase in the Bible that if Christians meditate on, can immensely transform their lives. In Matthew 28:6 there is a phrase “… as he said…” according to the King James Version.
Thus phrase forms part of a statement declared by an angel of God to two women who were disciples of Jesus who had gone to his tomb early in the morning on the third day after his death.
According to the Biblical account, the stone covering the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away and an Angel was sitting on it and he made the statement to the effect that the Jesus they are seeking is not there and that he had risen, as he said before his death.
His resurrection affirmed the authenticity and dependability of the word of Jesus and therefore the word of God.
Christianity has to do with faith in the word of God. Pastor Mensa Otabil said if we view Christianity as an inside out view, you would go inside to operate the power that is in you.
As a Christian, the spirit of God and therefore the power of God, dwells in you. Anyone who is aware of this truth, does not go around seeking to have a so called powerful person resolve his or her spiritual issues.
Most Christians who move from prophet to prophet, do not believe that the spirit of God which operates in a Pastor or Prophet, is the same spirit that dwells in him or her.
In fact , that Christian may be more ‘powerful’ than the Prophet or Pastor he is going to for prayers because he is living a holy life, which is pleasing to God, for God is no respecter of persons according to Acts 10:34-35.
God does not give out his spirit in different measures to indwell believers. The spirit of God that dwells in a new convert, is the same spirit that dwells in a Bishop or a Prophet or an Evangelist or an Elder or a Deacon.
All you need to do as a child of God is to believe in the word of God and know that it works and that according to 1 John 4:4 we, Christians, that the Spirit of God dwells in us have overcome the world and Jesus in us, is greater than the Devil who is out in the world, wrecking havoc all around.
If we realise that we have overcome the Devil and everything he controls, then we can believe and act in faith and make declarations and just as Christ declared that he will die and on the third day, he will rise from the dead and it manifested as he said, there shall be a manifestation of our declarations also.
The problem of modern day Christians is that, a lot of them, do not study and meditate on the word of God, so they do not witness the manifestation of the power of God, in their lives.
Such an experience over time, give them the impression that the spirit of God dwells in different dimensions in believers. This then leads them to seek solutions to their challenges from so called powerful men of God.
Some Pastors also fall into this misconception of the measure of the spirit of God in believers. When the size of a Pastor’s church for instance, is not increasing the way he had been praying for self-doubt sometimes begin to set in.
Especially, if he begins to compare his church with that of say a colleague from the same Bible School, then he begins to wonder if there is not a spiritual secret he is not aware of.
This is when, if care is not taken, fellow Pastors who appears to be very successful in the ministry but are using occultic powers, could sway them from the narrow path and get them trapped in the Devil’s clutches and eventually and inevitably, destroy their lives. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Introduction
You have been there. Twenty tabs open comparing laptops. A blank page for an email you’ve been “thinking about” for three days. A menu with 30 options and you leave hungry.
This is decision paralysis: the state where the volume of information, options, or perceived stakes prevents you from making a decision at all. It’s not laziness. It’s a cognitive overload response.
In a data-rich environment, it’s becoming the default mode for both individuals and organisations.
This article breaks down why it happens, how it shows up, what it costs, and how to break it.
1. What decision paralysis actually is?
Decision paralysis is a failure of the decision-making system to convert information into action. Psychologists call it ‘analysis paralysis’ or ‘choice overload.’
It has three components:
1. Cognitive overload: Working memory can hold between four to seven chunks of information at once. When you try to track 20 variables, the system freezes.
2. Anticipatory regret: You overestimate the pain of making the wrong choice. The brain avoids the emotional cost by avoiding the choice.
3. Ambiguity aversion: Humans prefer known risks over unknown ones. When outcomes are uncertain, we stall.
The result is not neutral. Not deciding is a decision. It costs time, momentum, and opportunity
2. Why it’s getting worse now
2.1 Infinite options
Amazon has 350 million products. Netflix has 6000+ titles. Dating apps have unlimited profiles. The paradox of choice: more options increase initial satisfaction but decrease final satisfaction and increase regret.
2.2 Information abundance without synthesis
You can find 50 studies on sleep. Each one has caveats, conflicting results, and different methodologies. Without a framework to integrate them, more data creates more confusion, not clarity. This connects directly to the “data-rich, wisdom-poor” problem.
2.3 Reversibility anxiety
In the digital age, most decisions feel permanent. A bad post goes viral. A bad hire is public on LinkedIn. A bad career move is visible. The fear of irreversible error makes people delay.
2.4 Algorithmic mirroring
Platforms show you what you already engage with. This creates an illusion that there’s one ‘best’ option you are missing. You keep searching, convinced the optimal choice is one more scroll away.
3. How it shows up
Personal Level
Cannot pick a career path after six months of ‘research’
Spend two hours choosing a movie and watch nothing
Delay sending an email because it ‘isn’t perfect’
3.1 Organisational level
Teams spend 80 per cent of time in meetings gathering data, 20 per cent deciding
Product teams delay launch waiting for “one more data point”
KPIs multiply but no strategic choice is made
3.2 Common cognitive tells:
Endless comparison tables
Asking for one more opinion
Reframing the problem instead of solving it
Feeling drained after thinking but not acting
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
