[2011]DLNMC6252 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B050">DR. E. OBENG APORI<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B050">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B050">ENQUIRER NEWSPAPER AND SAMUEL APPAH PENIEL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:windowtext">[NATIONAL MEDIA COMMISSION]</span></b></span><span class="None"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:windowtext"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> DATE: MARCH 1, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">DECISION RENDERED BY: <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">MR. ALEXANDER BANNERMAN, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF NMC<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The complainant, then Medical Superintendent at the Regional Hospital, Koforidua, claimed that a publication in the Enquirer Newspaper of 3rd to s” April, 2009, headlined ; KILLER DOCTORS AT KDUA HOSPITAL ; was libelous and did not represent the true situation at the hospital. The Complainant admitted that the Koforidua correspondent of the Enquirer did interview him but however chose to misrepresent what he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">According to him, the report was full of half-truths, unsubstantiated allegations and generalizations which clearly demonstrated the said reporter&#39;s general lack of understanding of the operations of the Eastern Regional Hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">In consonance with procedures of the Complaints and Settlements Committee of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Commission, the Enquirer Newspaper was invited to present .its side of the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Neither did the Enquirer make a written submission or appear the Commission<o:p></o:p></span></p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Commission is of the view that the Enquirer Newspaper failed to abide by the strict terms of the Code of Ethics of the Ghana Journalists Association which enjoins the media to be fair and objective in their reportage and accordingly direct the Enquirer to fulfill its professional obligations by rendering an apology to the complainant.<o:p></o:p></span></p></span>