Ace and multi-award winning journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has revealed that the media institution which is supposed to take the lead role in the fight against corruption is in itself riddled in corrupt practices.
The Joy FM senior journalist who has won nine awards in three years maintained that, the canker has become difficult to fight because some journalists have very close relations with big business owners and politicians who perpetrate in corrupt practices.
“The reason why we are not able to win the fight against corruption is that, we ourselves are corrupt as a media institution. Many of these media station are founded by big businessmen and politicians who engage in corrupt practices, how then do you fight it?” he said.
He added that the media as an institution survives largely through advertisement from big companies who normally threaten to withdraw their ads when a journalist tries to expose their inefficiencies, and therefore forcing the media to shirk its primary responsibility of safeguarding public interest.
Manasseh disclosed this on Thursday at a forum organised by the Department of Communication Studies of the University of Cape Coast as part of effort by the department to help students of the department to get the practical aspect of journalism.
Speaking on the topic “The Media and Corruption” the 2012/2013 best journalist of the year intimated that it takes extra hard work and patience for one to survive in the media landscape, maintaining that “if a person wants to succeed in the fight against corruption, the person must sharpen his investigative skills and also develop a very thick skin in order to survive.”
He cautioned that, the desire to get rich quick should not be the motivating factor for young professional, but young professionals should thrive to distinguish themselves through hard work, and the reward at the end would be mouth-watering. He said that people have tried to bribe him on several times, with some promising him even up to tune of several millions of cedi’s, and although his father is a night watchman at Krachi Government Hospital, he has always resisted the corrupt temptations.
He admonished students to explore other alternative advantages that would enhance their career and expose them to the job market while at school, saying that he had never written application letters for employment but had rejected many, because he positioned himself well whilst at school and even had his first job whilst as a student.
story filed by Abdul-Karim Mohammed A (fayar)
Communication Studies
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photo courtesy Tenny Endutimepre Tunkarimu
