INTERVIEW: SOME JOURNALISTS WORK FOR THEIR STOMACH, SOME FOR GOD

This is an interview conducted in a WhatsApp group known as Poets from our Savannah in Ghana. The interview was conducted in order to inspire youths who are just germinating to the real world. The guest, Mr. Alhassan Angaangmini Ibrahim posits that journalism is a sacred profession but some people have tarnished its image. Nevertheless, some are working towards its sanctity. He was hosted by Poet Gbepo and Poet Naporoo….

Poet Gbepo:  Good evening, fellow ink bleeders. Please, help me welcome one of the members of the gossip fraternity, Mr Ibrahim. You're welcome Sir.

Mr. Ibrahim: Thank you. I am highly honoured to be here this evening. I am grateful friends of the ink fraternity

Poet Gbepo:  We hope you'll feel comfortable here.

Mr. Ibrahim: Thank you

Poet Gbepo:  Sir, who is Mr Ibrahim? In other words, may we know a brief background of you?

Mr. Ibrahim:  Thank you for your question. 
Well I was born some 28 years ago to Mr and Mrs Alhassan. My name is Alhassan Angaangmini Ibrahim, I come from the upper west region of Ghana. Tanina, a community close to the WA UDS campus, on the Wa-Kumasi road. I completed my Primary and Junior High school in my village and later moved to Wa Senior High Technical School for my Secondary school education, where I pursued General Arts. I was elected the Assistant Senior prefect, standing unopposed in the election due to my overwhelming popularity in school. I was also the debate club president, VSO/AYA president among other relevant clubs in school. So invariably I am Waalu, but I call myself a global citizen. 
So I am now a Dagomba.

Poet Gbepo:  wow! A great life experience. Please, who is a journalist and what is journalism?

Mr. Ibrahim:  Well I won't restrict myself to classical definitions of who a journalist is. So, a journalist is the one that had the calling from God to fight for the voiceless in society with some training any way to understand the basic concepts of Journalism through any of the media platforms. So journalism invariably is the use of the media NY a journalist to fight for the voiceless and the marginalised in society.

Poet Gbepo: Brilliant answers, from a brilliant journalist. That is great! What is the feeling like, being a journalist?

Mr. Ibrahim: It is a feeling of fulfillment of my vision and personal principles. It is an opportunity to lead a prayer with God in mind while serving.

Poet Gbepo: Then, It is more less the work of God!

Mr. Ibrahim: You can't afford to betray those you are representing. In essence conscience plays a key part of my work.

Poet Gbepo:  Sir, you think all journalists use their ink to that effect?

Mr. Ibrahim:  No

Poet Gbepo: Why, sir?

Mr. Ibrahim:  Just men of God, we are like them. We have what we call stomach journalists and they work according to their stomach. Some take bribes to do their work.

Poet Gbepo: This is unfortunate!

Mr. Ibrahim:  Some have become mouthpiece of politicians, instead of fighting for the voiceless, they rather oppress them. We are supposed to be gatekeepers not supporters of the wrong.

Poet Gbepo: So please what are the core duties of a journalist, sire?

Mr. Ibrahim: Depending on your rank that's where you get your duties. We have reporters, correspondents, copy editors, editors, managing editors and editor in chiefs and all have different roles to play. Reporters are the lowest ranked in the news room

Poet Gbepo: Wow!

Mr. Ibrahim: And depending on the structure of the News room, there are assigned particular roles, but the editor is the God of the Newsroom.

Poet Gbepo:  Please tell us more!

Mr. Ibrahim:  He is the most powerful. The editor approves the stories before they are published and without his express permission you can't publish a story. Copy editors are in charge of a particular story from a reporter. Correspondents are reporters at the regional levels in the case of national media house. 
BBC has correspondents in countries but reporters in UK

Poet Gbepo:  I am taking down, notes! After this interview, I believe I can have enough of ...to also practice...!

Mr. Ibrahim: Hahaha. That's great.

Poet Gbepo: At this point, I wish my co _host come in now.

Poet Naporoo: Thank you for the opportunity Sir.

Mr. Ibrahim: I am grateful too.

Poet Naporoo: Great elucidations up there. Please sir, do you encounter problems at your work?

Mr. Ibrahim: Yes. In every situation there will be problems. Life without problems can be best as death. But we must rise above the problems. Things like lack of resources to work with, low salary and non-payment in some cases and occupational hazards.  Many business men go into the media business thinking that it is a matter of selling tomatoes. That makes working with them difficult especially in Tamale.

Poet Naporoo: What have been your reactions to these challenges?

Mr. Ibrahim: I have fortified myself against them. I have a vision, a bigger picture I am looking at, so that makes me feel no pain when I encounter such problems. I must achieve my dream so I can't afford to let the problems weigh me down. There must be a way out. So when I imagine the beautiful Picture who I want to be, I am motivated enough to walk on fire to get there with just smiles.

Poet Naporoo: Really? Sir, there is something in the gossip fraternity called solidarity, soli for short, tell us about it.

Mr Ibrahim: Soli as you put it, is short form of the word solidarity. A term that refers to An amount of money given to journalists to help them so to speak offset the cost of transportation to an event venue. I always say that there are types of Soli. One you are genuinely given without a hidden motive and one with an ulterior motive. Whichever way it is unethical per our ethics.

Poet Gbepo: Is it not the responsibility of the media house to take care of the transportations of a journalist?

Mr Ibrahim: It’s supposed to be but some of them are reneging on this responsibility giving rise to this Soli menace. A well endowed media prohibits their journalists from taking Soli. Example is Joy FM. BBC and other international media houses prohibit the receiving of Soli. They care so much about their credibility.

Poet Gbepo: What is the way forward, sir, if It is unethical and owners of the media houses on our part of the world do not want to live up to their responsibilities?

Mr Ibrahim:  A media house with credibility is as good as garbage.

Poet Naporoo:  OK sir, could one report a journalist for refusing to publish your event because you couldn't afford soli? If yes, to who?

Mr Ibrahim: Well, owners of media houses here must invest heavily to be able to stop Soli taking. They must provide means for their workers to attend events among others. Yes to the editor. But it must first meet the standard of their editorial policy. In other words it must be newsworthy.

Poet Gbepo:  Sir, newsworthy here, means?

Mr Ibrahim:  Let me say that it is not binding on them to publish your story. They have the discretional powers. It should meet their editorial policy. Whichever it is, it should be between their newsroom definitions of newsworthy Ness. Media houses have their editorial policies, which vary from one to the other.

Poet Naporoo: Wow! Sir, have you ever been smeared with any political colors?

Mr Ibrahim: Well, yes. But not abusive one. There are times when I talk on my show, someone would accuse me of belonging to a party or the other. I usually try to be objective as much as possible because I have to be professional. But you see, when you say anything someone does not like then, you belong to the other side. Can you imagine I once advised someone and he tagged me to particular side he opposes? I was shocked.

Poet Naporoo: Hahaha. That's nice to hear. 
Please sir, how does it feel to be behind a microphone and tell us about your first experience?

Mr Ibrahim:  I must say it is a great feeling.

Poet Naporoo: Thousand smiles are flooding out my tongue

Poet Naporoo: Really? How was your reaction on your first day and which station was that

Mr Ibrahim Bishra: My first time was way back in senior high school. That was Radio progress in Wa. It was mixed feeling, combination of tension and excitement. I went to participate in live quiz programme. But professionally it was Bishara Radio in 2011.

Poet Naporoo:  I wish I...lol. In your opinion sir, who is Anas Armeyaw? In recent times, there is a youngster from our land whose name sends fears down the spines of corrupt politicians, corrupt judges and whatchamacallit. I am talking about Anas  Arimiyawu Anas. What do you have to say about his type of journalism, sir?

Mr Ibrahim: He does great journalism. He is redefining journalism. I admire him a lot. We need his kind of journalism in Ghana to fight corruption and other ills.

Poet Naporoo: Isn't it too risky for people? Would you go into that aspect later in your career?

Mr Ibrahim:  It is risky but we must raise our lives for the progress of society. Yes, I will jump at such an opportunity. I want to specialise in investigative journalism.

Poet Naporoo: That is great, sir! But we have renown journalists like Kwasi prat condemning him into the dust bin of foolishness. Is it anything unprofessional about his kind of journalism?

Mr. Ibrahim: It has to do with ethics. His way of Journalism breaches the ethics of the profession. But that notwithstanding, the result is what matters. He works for the public good. So for me, he is on track. That is why he is celebrated across the world.

Poet Gbepo: Succinct! But, do you believe those who claim, that he uses juju in the course of his work?

Mr Ibrahim: Interesting, I have heard of his father being spiritually fortified. So I guess such conjecturing is from that point. I won't say juju but he is spiritually fortified

Poet Gbepo: To a lay man, what does that mean, sir?

Mr Ibrahim: You know, in everything that you do you need God. He is always with his God.

Poet Gbepo: Could one anonymously start journalism secretly like Anas?

Mr Ibrahim: You have to be trained in many ways.

Poet Gbepo: Which are?

Mr Ibrahim: It is a daring adventure to do what he is doing. Security training and at certain points any knowledge that is necessary. How to handle secret cameras. How to manoeuvre your ways into secret places including hiding your identity as he is doing.

Poet Gbepo: Thanks, but do you believe that people actually know him physically?

Mr Ibrahim Bishra:  People know him. He has friends and colleagues. They know him.

Mr. Ibrahim:  I am grateful