The future of private media in the country could be threatened as Paul Victor Obeng proposes guerilla mode journalism to contain what he considers the overwhelming effects of “the enemy media”. PV Obeng, as he is fondly called in political circles, is also calling for a heightened countrywide serial calling programme to bombard the airwaves with National Democratic Congress (NDC) supportive interventions in the face of a nagging economic downturn. The proposals, contained in a leaked memo dispatched to the President and copied the Vice President, seek to among other things float a multiplicity of newspapers and radio stations across the country to undertake propaganda programmes in the face of the rising prowess of the private media. The memo titled, “Regaining the Media Ground From the Enemy”, reveals the scare in National Democratic Congress (NDC) circles due to the ineffectiveness of the political grouping’s propaganda machinery now that they are in power. A portion of the 7-page memo has been ironically stumbled upon by a section of the private media or enemy media as PV, who was labeled as one of the ‘characters’ surrounding Mills, chooses to describe them. The proposals, if implemented, would witness a major propaganda onslaught by a plethora of NDC mouthpieces across the country. When these are operational, they would join dozens of others already jostling for attention on the media turf for a while now. The Situation Report or SITREP from PV to his employers, suggest that the NDC is losing out in the media war and would have to quickly seek a counter response. The March 24, 2009 memo posits that in the medium to long term, there would be the need for the acquisition of what he describes as appropriate and adequate media outlets run by only NDC elements “to match the intensity of the opponents’ outburst”. Such outlets, he explains, should include reliable FM stations and newspapers, a proposal that should be tackled in the shortest possible time. Alternative propaganda arrangements contained in the proposal are sponsorship of TV and radio programmes. The New Patriotic Party (NPP), PV suggests to his employers, has succeeded so far in making the NDC government unpopular by creating the impression that members of the ruling class are confused with no sense of direction as regards to managing State affairs. “The opposition media is presenting the NDC government as the aggressor and witch hunter trying to falsely present the previous administration of the NPP as clean and blameless.” The bad press being suffered by the government, he indicated, is being championed by the ownership of media opposed to the NDC. He also seeks to have communities own their FM stations so these can be fed with propaganda materials to influence public opinion. The following sums up the memo whose leakage is said to have ruffled the man who chaired the Government Transition Team. “The media infrastructure, mainly owned and operated by elements in the political opposition, is aggressively hitting at the new government. The operatives are still singing the songs of their masters in pursuit of their defence against what they perceive to be the allegations likely to be made against members of the last administration. The opposition seems to have taken the media war to us and dictating the agenda. The strategies designed by the media group of the NDC should be made to roll out to deal partly with the situation.” And the strategy is to pollute the airwaves and flood the newsstands with propaganda newspapers being sponsored with special allocation from the Castle. PV, at the end of his assignment as chairman of the Government Transition Team whose performance drew mixed reactions, was prominent during the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) as a leading member. Known for his political oratory, he does not appear to have won the hearts of many who have come across him in government business. With no clear-cut role at the Castle, his memo is being considered by some NDC elements as a means of making himself relevant. His quest to chair the GHAPOHA Board has been scowled at by the NDC Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, who is not comfortable with the continued presence of the man in the corridors of power. Source: Daily Guide