THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST vs. THE NATIONAL TRIBUTE NEWSPAPER [2018]DLNMC7563

Date	2018-10-12
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2018]DLNMC7563

[2018]DLNMC7563
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE NATIONAL TRIBUTE NEWSPAPER<o:p></o:p><a name="_Hlk25393879">[NATIONAL
MEDIA COMMISSION]</a><o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: OCTOBER 12, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div><a name="_Hlk25393841">DECISION GIVEN BY: <o:p></o:p></a><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">NANA KWASI
GYAN-APENTENG (CHAIRMAN)<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The University of Cape Coast lodged a complaint
against the National Tribute Newspaper that had published a series of articles
between May and June 2018, in which the newspaper had made a number of
allegations against the University, its Vice Chancellor and other officials of
the University.<o:p></o:p>The said publications were published
and titled as follows: <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thursday
May 31, 2018: Rots at UCC Uncovered<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thursday
June 12, 2018: Mysterious Attacks at UCC<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thursday
June 21, 2018: UCC VC, Others Hot<o:p></o:p>The allegations levelled against the
University are as follows:<o:p></o:p>v&nbsp; The first allegation captioned, “Rots
at UCC Uncovered”.<o:p></o:p>v&nbsp; The second publication alleged that an
optometry student had been murdered.<o:p></o:p>v&nbsp; The third publication claimed that UCC
had made dubious deals and that the BNI was conducting investigations into the
University.<o:p></o:p>The University stated in the complaint
that the allegations were false, actuated by malice and sought to unfairly
bring the University and her principal officers into disrepute. The Editor at
the first meeting of the Complaints Settlement Committee agreed to dialogue
with the representatives of the University on the publications and to publish
their version (possibly a rejoinder) from the University.<o:p></o:p>The National Tribute Newspaper in its
Thursday, August 30, 2018 edition published a retraction with a teaser on its
front page and carried in full on page 4 of the publication apologizing to the
University in respect of the offending publications as follows: <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“This
has become necessary because the management and editors of the paper have&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; realized that some of the issues
raised in the said publications against the aforementioned persons were not
entirely accurate and factual.<o:p></o:p>Having gotten these facts and with the settlement process
initiated by the National Media Commission, we honorably retract the stories,
their content and render sincere apology to the school and its management.<o:p></o:p>Management of the paper wish to assure Management of the
University that the paper has no ill-feeling towards the school or any person
in management position of the school and hope this retraction and apology will
settle the matter and establish a healthy friendship between the school and the
National Tribute.”<o:p></o:p>The NMC commends the National Tribute
Newspaper for its cooperation in complying with the constitutional provision
mandating rejoinders and for accepting to retract and apologize to the Vice
Chancellor and other members of Management of the University who were mentioned
in the publication.<o:p></o:p>