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Mills office protests to National
Media Commission
Accra, Oct 2, Ghanadot/GNA – The Office of Professor John
Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday protested against what it
described as fabrications and falsehood publications on the
health status of Professor Mills in ‘The Moon’ and ‘The New
Punch’ newspapers.
The Office in a letter addressed to the Executive Secretary
of National Media Commission (NMC) complained about
"unethical reportage by ‘The Moon’ and ‘The New Punch’.
The letter said for sometime now certain Media Houses have
made it their stock-in-trade to be publishing outright
falsehood with regard to the health status of the NDC
Flagbearer for Election 2008, Prof John Evans Atta Mills.
The letter signed by Mr Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central
and Spokesman for Prof Mills, made particular reference to
the Monday, October 1, 2007, edition of ‘The Moon’ and
Tuesday, October 02, 2007, edition of ‘The New Punch’.
It said the stories headlined "Mills’ Doctor Angry as Mills
Ignores His Instructions", by ‘The Moon’ and "Mills is Dying
Slowly" by ‘The New Punch’ were outright fabrications.
The letter, which was copied to the Media, said: "We are
aware that the Ghana Journalists Association's Code of
Ethics frowns upon such unethical conduct, and bring this
unacceptable practice by the above-named Media Houses to
your attention.
"The Office of the Flagbearer of the NDC anticipates that
you would use your good office to get ‘The Moon’, ‘The New
Punch’, and other Media Houses that are debasing the
journalism profession with regard to publishing and
disseminating falsehood about the health status of John
Evans Atta Mills, to put an end to their unethical brand of
journalism.
"We hope that Article 167 (b) of the Constitution would
guide the NMC as it looks into this matter of unethical
practice by some Media Houses."
The Article asks the NMC "to take all appropriate measures
to ensure the establishment and maintenance of the highest
journalistic standards in the mass media, including
investigation, mediation and settlement of complaints made
against or by the press or other mass media."
GNA
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