A prominent figure in the media, Bernard Avle, has called on fellow journalists to maintain their integrity amidst the growing trend of achieving celebrity status in the field.
During the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, April 11, 2024, Bernard Avle discussed the evolving nature of journalism, highlighting his apprehensions regarding the emphasis on fame and social media metrics over core journalistic values.
He offered insights into the development of Ghanaian television, specifically focusing on the late 1990s era.
“Those days, those our actors were good, these days things have changed even the journalists have changed, we’ve become celebrities,” Avle remarked during the show. “Things are not the same anymore. Those days, those who were in the journalism profession, they were professionals, they were even working at other places and they were doing part-time. Of course, you can’t do part-time anymore, and media people were role models. We need purity; we need to accept that things have changed.
We need to have some puritans in the media, people who will have to stick to what they have to do and do it “.
Avle underscored the significance of preserving journalistic integrity despite the temptation of fame and the allure of social media metrics.
“A young journalist now, the thing they are now being told about what the profession needs, influencers, and all those things. Do your story, be accurate, and be fair, you can have 20, 000 followers on Facebook but that is not the work, your real work is to make sure when you do the story, you should make sure it is well written, your grammar is correct, you attribute it rightly. These are the basics but people are missing it.”
“Some guy came to me that he wants to come and work here, he has so many people following him, his grammar is even wrong and people are following him all over and he wants to be a media guy, how can you be a media guy when you can’t write English or whatever language you want to use to do the media “
The experienced journalist raised alarm about the diminishing presence of in-depth journalism and critical analysis, attributing it to the prevalence of rapid, superficial content.
“We can’t even read thorough stories because most stories are like four paragraphs and they’re moving to the next, it is even changing the way we think because people are not able to think deeply. You can’t sit quietly and meditate for two hours because everything is quick, we creating a generation of people who are dumb we need to go back to some fundamentals”
Avle emphasized the core principles of journalism, urging his colleagues to withstand the allure of fame and stay true to their professional values.
“The basis of journalism is verification of information to put out because now I am using this to advise myself as well because it’s changing, followership, stardom when people see you they want autographs and you think you are a big guy, you are not any big guy , you are a simple journalist, never forget who you are. Don’t let people define you because of your big car”
Bernard Avle has made noteworthy contributions to Ghanaian journalism, earning a reputation as a respected and influential media personality. He is renowned for his insightful analysis, compelling presentation style, and dedication to addressing issues in Ghana. His articulate voice and valuable insights have garnered him a sizable following and solidified his position as a prominent figure in Ghanaian media.