The Tragedy that hit Ghanaian Journalism

Do you remember Samuel Agyemang, formerly Metro TV? He will go down in history as one of Ghana’s best journalists ever.

In 2009, Agyemang was named a United Nations (UN) Dag Hammarskjöld Journalism Fellow and was presented with the Ortega Memorial Bronze Medal by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

That same year Samuel was named Journalist of the Year and received the award for TV Features Reporting from the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).

He was later also named the Thomson Foundation Journalist of the Year by the Commonwealth Broadcasters Association.

It was therefore a tragedy when Samuel Agyemang had to prematurely end his journalism exploits. He resigned from Metro TV in 2013.

Why would a journalist with such a level of excellence leave the media? Did he take a bow when the proverbial applause was loudest?

No.

He was pushed. The reason was known to some of us, but as with many ex-employees who leave their organisation, he did not immediately come out.

Five years after his resignation, Samuel Agyemang gave the reason for his resignation, in a Facebook post on June 2, 2018.

“This is because I had prepared a story ready to be published in the news, but the station’s management warned me not to use the story on their network.

“I begged them to show the story in the interest of Ghana, but I was told my request was being denied in the interest of business,” Agyemang recounted.

“To prove my resolve to serve the country in truth, I published my story on YouTube and shared it with credible and serious media outlets like Citi FM. Then I immediately resigned. I declined any call and advice to return to my network to signal the fact that I value integrity.”

The Subah Infosolutions, the company which Samuel Agyemang’s investigation exposed for taking money without any work done, is owned by the Jospong Group of Companies.

After Samuel Agyemang’s resignation, Jospong bought Metro TV.

Nine years after the resignation of Samuel Agyemang, Metro TV is a subject of controversy when Bridget Otoo was forced to leave the make-up room while she was preparing for her first news bulletin on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.

This may be coincidental. But the reality is that not only the government or politicians can act in ways that are detrimental to the work of journalists.

Two journalists in Ghana are known to have done major stories that exposed shady deals between the Jospong Group and the government of Ghana–Samuel Agyemang and Manasseh Azure Awuni.

Samuel Agyemang was compelled to leave mainstream journalism after his Subah story.

Manasseh did not stop. So those of you who often ask why Manasseh continuously comes under attack on that platform, this is the reason.

When Daniel Yaw Domelevo touched Jospong’s interest, he was roasted on that network by that same person.

Read Samuel Agyemang’s post about why he resigned from Metro TV here: https://www.facebook.com/samuel.agyemang.144/posts/2487585944600534

By Manasseh Azure Awine