Dr. Paul Anzah Ackah Herzuah, the director of media studies at the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UniMAC), criticized Kwame Asare Obeng (A-Plus), a panelist on UTV’s United Showbiz program, for publicly tearing up a letter the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had sent to the station’s management expressing concerns about the show’s structure.
The management of the station should have had control over Kwame A-Plus and prevented him from tearing up the letter, even though Dr. Paul Herzuah called the attack on UTV despicable and unfortunate.
On Monday, October 9 on 3FM’s Sunrise Show with Johnnie Hughes, Dr. Paul Herzuah said “It was unfortunate given the fact that it involved a top political party like the NPP. The invasion was a despicable act, it can be condemned in no uncertain terms but looking at what happened before the invasion, A-Plus tearing the papar or that communique live on TV was also still not the best as far as I am concerned.
“We have freedom of speech and freedom of action granted, he can defend himself but I think that the media also have a responsibility of really checking certain things. We are all aware that this country is polarised in terms of NPP and NDC and so if you are a media station and you profess to be neutral, what happens is that you have viewership that comes from both sides of the political divide and so if something happens and some of your viewership realize that it didn’t go well then you the media station you have the responsibility to put certain things in place. So I thought that UTV could have reined in a little bit the actions of A-Plus but again A-Plus also thought that he had the right to do whatever he did. But I think it was a very despicable act by those who invaded the premises.”
A-Plus had mentioned the letter on one of the episodes of the program before it was torn up, “This letter is appalling because we have received threatening calls from people plotting to disrupt the show. NPP members should refrain from such actions and should not write such letters again. This is an absurd letter.”
