Accra, Nov. 30, GNA – “The New Punch”, a 12-page newspaper, under the editorship of Mr Ebenezer Ato Sam Jnr., aka Baby Ansaba was launched in Accra on Thursday.
The coloured socio-political newspaper, which will be on the stands every Friday, is to punch issues into focus to generate healthy discussions but not to punch individuals or institutions.
With Baby Ansaba as the Managing Editor and Publisher, the paper adds up to the 402 papers already in the system and it came after the Editor was shown the exit from the ‘Daily Guide’ newspaper where he was an Editor.
“I will like to make it clear that the name, New Punch, does not suggest that we are going to punch people by heart but rather we will go for the news, verify the news and talk to both sides if need be and make sure that we will not malign anybody just to please the name of the paper” Mr Ato Sam said.
Launching the paper, Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Information and National Orientation, said though the Ghanaian media could be counted among the freest and most vocal in the world, same could not be said of the quality and content.
He said after the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, the media in Ghana still published material that was unsubstantiated and not well researched and analysed while the grammar was still poor with most stories being used to settle political scores.
Mr Bartels said: “it is my considered view that the watchdog role of the media is better played when society believes and sees the media as truthful, than when it is looked upon with scepticism and distrust.” He urged the Managing Editor and workers of the paper to carve a niche for the paper and strive to make a difference.
Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Editor of the ‘Daily Graphic’, said journalism was not about money making and that a distinction must be made between entrepreneurship and journalism in order not to forget the objective of serving the public with credibility and the truth. He advised the Editor to accept criticism and apologise when the need arose adding that “being human, every journalist is fallible and must accept his or mistakes”.
The first few copies of the paper with the headline “Esseku Shoots His Mouth” was auctioned for 29.7 million cedis.
Source: GhanaWeb
