WEBSTER UNIVERSITY AND ANAS by Kezia Setyawan

Opening starts with the difference with between expectations from the Ghanaian audience and international audience

Media is powerful à it influences the political, social, and economic spheres

  • It is the fourth arm of government
  • Uphold the highest integrity and leave as a changemaker

 

Context matters

Anas’ work brings a theatrical element that uses the best of 21st century communication

Historical look into Nellie bly (asylum)

Alex Dolan (undercover teacher)

In Africa: Kwetey Nartey

  • Rebel land, creche in red light

There will always be tension between law and journalism

It will always matter to public interest

Francis Mbala

  • Africanize it, culturalize it, make it relevant for the place we live
  • We cannot make strong institutions without dismantling weak ones

What is the impact of Anas work?

  • Example given was Esther Amas said that 6 year old girls at the Montessori school esther sister runs dressed up wanting to be journalists

Anas is a product of his society

  • And he believes in giving the journalism the people deserve

What makes the story attractive: you achieve this with hardcore evidence

 

What is ghana’s understanding of investigative journalism

The undercover aspect happens when it is necessary

No film only runs on the undercover

 

The story gets chosen by who can fund the story

Which leads to the question how can the story remain onbjective

Research- who is the contact?

What security protocols are in place

Risks that come with journalism – near death experience with

Undercover is the last resort

Conflict with editorial staff and lawyers as well

Reality vs the law

I will be a realist

What media impacts on society positively

What do we need for our (Ghanaian) society

From individualism to collectivism

Anas collaborates with courts, law enforcement

  • If the road is broken we all still cross it”
  • “a clear fight between black and white”

African journalism across the continent

Journalism will change into different brands

  • Give people in the third world a place to tell stories of their own

It’s a gradual African awakening

What is the elitist approach to change

What engages the general public

African context of investigative journalism: the more you engage people, the more people understand what needs to be done

Details: gold beads running across the microphone

Rise in the Ghanaian middle class

  • Push the frontiers of democracy

I used to not like giving interviews or talks but now I open up to any question about my work – open up to scrutiny to make my work stronger

“I can’t do it all. I can do some.”

I don’t think anyone is in the mood to improve African journalism except for ourselves”

Build the media institutions we want

Build the industry you want to defend

 

In anas line of work – he has been sued 66 times and has never lost a suit

News matters in how you package it

“I think that the journalist armed with the criminal court, can disarm the lawyer

It wasn’t me who was under attack, it was journalists under attack

On number 12 – I don’t even like football

Journalists will always be in conflict with politicians

Personal anecdote:

While there is more of a straightforward legal language

  • There is family tension
    • Anas brings up his grandparents – spirit children
    • The African story can only be brought up by africans – who can convince our families and our communities

Consult – tiger eye for the legalities

 

Anas imposters in ghana

  • Someone works for the presidency
  • Report to the police

Journalists need time to be better

“ news is not suppose to make you happy”

How do you cope?

  • Security – not entirely up to you
    • Always have backup
    • Study the people against you well
    • No story is more important than your life
  • Passion and drive to stop corruption – only 3 people worked on the majority of number 12

It is your time

  • Lets not let anyone define journalism for us

 

 

Anas At Webster University

“I don’t think anyone is in the mood to improve African journalism except for us,” said Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Ghanaian investigative journalist. On July 19th, Webster University held an event called Investigative Journalism in Ghana: fighting for a future?, a larger part to their #reImagineGH2018: stories, standards & struggle. Webster University and its Media Communications department hopes that these talks will bring inspiration to students so that they can tell important stories themselves and leave as changemakers.

Hosted by Esther Armah, the lecture gave an overview to the context of African investigative journalism with the likes of Francis Mbala and Kwetey Nartey across the continent. Armah drew attention to how investigative journalism comes from the need to speak truth to power. Through a theatrical way of reporting that brings in a lot of interest from the general public, Anas said, “the more you engage people, the more people understand what needs to be done.”

There have been persistent critiques about the motives Anas and the rest of Tiger Eye uses to get information and follow his “name, shame, and jail” and in years past, Anas wouldn’t answer any questions or engage in talks such the one held at Webster University. However, now, Anas is open to any question about his work because of his belief that being open to scrutiny will make his work stronger.

“You make the story attractive by providing hardcore evidence,” said Anas, “I believe in giving the journalism the people deserve.”

In the one on one conversation with Armah, Anas speaks how even if one were to take away all the undercover work, one is still left with substantive journalism. He breaks down the laborious preparation to a project, such as budgeting, weaving through potential legal retributions with lawyers, and research.

This is shown in his most recent documentary Number 12, which led to most notably, the Ghanaian government dissolving the Ghana Football Association and the arrest Kwesi Nyantakyi. He reveals that it only took three people to do the majority of the work, and it came from their passion and drive to stop corruption. Anas laughs that his surprise about how big the story became in the country, his microphone brushing against the gold beads dropping from his hat.

“I don’t even like football,” said Anas. Even without his own personal interest in the sport, it showcases interconnectedness of journalism in changing society through its influence in social, political and economic spheres. Armah brought up that journalism is the fourth arm of government to hold people accountable.

The importance of creating work that speaks directly to the communities is highlighted through an anecdote of Anas’ grandparents. In the documentary about spirit children, Anas spoke to them about traditions and cultures in society on how people have treated disabled children through generations in villages. While he is rightly shows the horrific behavior of these doctors who kill children, he also takes an empathetic approach to why these things continue to happen and explains the importance that it takes people from within to change their communities’ minds.

As young people in Ghana grow up with Anas’s work, Armah tells a story that the Montessori school her sister runs had six year old students dressed up like Anas and shirts that said “journalist” on them. And as long as there are journalists in the making, Anas ended by saying, “let’s not let anyone define journalism for us.”

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