WIKIPEDIA describes a prophet as an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and to speak for them, serving as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people. The message that the prophet conveys is called a prophecy.
CONVENTIONALLY speaking prophets are regarded as having a role in society that promotes change due to their messages and actions.
AND rightly so, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, President Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican, during the 17th Ghana Journalist Awards could not have given a better analogy of the role of Journalists in present day society.
GIVING practical Biblical examples, the Catholic Bishop who was the special guest of honour advised journalists to continue being prophets of society, knowing when to criticize, capture the national vision and share with the public.
WE on Today believe that the same way that certain false prophets have inundated the nation, Ghana, has also been awash with some journalistic practices which the least said about them the better?qualifying them to be seen as ?false prophets.?
WHY do we say this; prophets tell congregations that they have heard from divine beings and therefore relay those divine messages to educate, denounce, encourage as well as announce. Journalists as well are expected to educate, encourage, denounce and announce for the benefit of the reading public. But what do we see? With election 2012 fast approaching, Today?s worry is that some of these journalistic prophets have started exploiting the internal cracks of political parties for their selfish interest.
WHAT our journalists say, write about and give attention to is where the whole nation would ordinarily direct its attention to; for is not what the print and electronic media report on that drives the nations discourse on our airwaves?
AGAINST this backdrop, Today concurs with His Eminence Appiah Turkson?s advice to journalists that they are the uniting conduit for country through their reportage and that journalists should not divide the country with bias reporting that would open ethnic and social cracks.
?STARRING at the campaign season and process of going to polls, you should relate to images of what needs to be done to choose a government and endeavor to point out a few examples,? His Eminence solidly offered to the fourth realm.
A good prophet knows when to speak, how to speak and when not to speak. Our journalists should therefore be endowed with a sense of vision for national good. Let?s not be in a hurry to relay information without looking at the consequences but be guided by our ethical and professional standards which many are lacking as at present.
LET journalists in Ghana and the whole world for that matter know that we need not only have to pray for peace, we need to shy away from things that do not make peace.
Today congratulates Manasseh Azure Awuni, a freelancer on emerging as the 2011 Ghana Journalist Association?s Journalist of the Year and hope that the high journalistic standards displayed in his reportage are emulated by many.
IN conclusion, we quote the guest speakers postulation for journalists which says; ?You are the visionary of the society and need to point people to where to go.?
