Sixteen individuals have been arrested in Damango, the capital of the Savannah Region for allegedly engaging in illicit drug activities.

By Errah Salifu Razak

SOURCE: CITINEWSROOM.COM

1. Does the image accurately represent the headline’s message?

Yes, the image visually aligns with the headline by showing the individuals reportedly arrested in connection with illicit drug activity. Their appearance and setting clearly suggest a law enforcement context, making the image consistent with the event being reported.

2. What emotions does the image evoke? (Does it create urgency, sympathy, or controversy?)

The image evokes a combination of urgency, concern, and controversy. It may prompt viewers to feel alarmed about the rise of drug-related activity, but also sympathy or discomfort due to how the suspects are visually presented shirtless, possibly vulnerable, and publicly displayed. Some may even feel outrage over potential public shaming or violation of dignity.

3. Is the image manipulated or biased? (Does it frame the story in a particular way?)

Yes, the image may carry bias in the way it presents the suspects shirtless and exposed, which could be seen as an attempt to portray them as guilty or morally deviant. While not digitally manipulated, it may frame the story to focus on shaming or dehumanizing the accused rather than informing the public with neutrality. This kind of framing can suggest guilt without due process.

4. How does composition affect storytelling? (Consider framing, lighting, and focus.)

Framing: Tight framing on shirtless suspects emphasizes vulnerability and criminal suspicion.

Lighting: If the lighting is natural and harsh, it could make the scene feel raw or gritty, increasing emotional impact.

Focus: The visual emphasis on bare bodies rather than surroundings may draw attention to shame or moral judgment, rather than to evidence, law enforcement, or location context.

5. Does the image add depth to the story or simply reinforce the headline?

The image reinforces the headline more than it adds depth. It shows the aftermath of an arrest but doesn’t explain the broader circumstances: what type of drugs, the method of arrest, or community impact. It simplifies the complex issue of drug crime into a visual of suspects being displayed.

6. Would a different image change the reader’s perception of the news?

Yes. A photo showing seized substances, police officials, or evidence on display would center the crime itself, not just the accused. An image from a press briefing or of community reaction would present the story with more balance. This current image may cause readers to focus on moral judgment and physical appearance, rather than the full legal or social context.

7. How does the image compare to others covering the same story?

If other media use neutral or official images like confiscated drugs or police statements. This shirtless suspect photo from CNR comes across as more sensational and emotionally charged. It may attract attention but could be criticized for lacking respect for human dignity or journalistic neutrality.

8. Is the image culturally or politically significant? (Does it reflect societal biases?)

Yes. Culturally, it reflects a tendency in some media to publicly shame accused persons, especially those perceived as poor, uneducated, or involved in criminal activity. 

Politically, the image could be used to show government or police action against drug crime, but it also reflects class and power dynamics, where vulnerable groups are publicly displayed while larger networks behind drug trafficking often remain invisible. This approach risks reinforcing societal biases about crime and poverty.

Calls For Removal of EC Boss, Deputies Justified – Franklin Cudjoe

Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, a prominent policy think tank, has publicly declared that demands for the removal of Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa and her deputies, Dr. Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, are justifiable.

Cudjoe's remarks, made during an appearance on Channel One TV's "The Big Issue" on Saturday, June 28, follow similar calls from National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah. Cudjoe argued that the current EC leadership has fallen short on transparency and accountability, particularly in its management of recent electoral processes.

He specifically criticized the Commission for alleged overspending in past elections and highlighted what he considers the egregious disenfranchisement of residents in the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi, and Likpe (SALL) areas, who were denied their right to vote in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

While clarifying that he would not personally initiate a petition for their removal, Cudjoe revealed that IMANI Africa has already submitted a petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) concerning the EC's conduct. He emphasized that the issues at stake transcend partisan politics, impacting the fundamental integrity of Ghana's democratic institutions.

"Everybody knows my position on this," Cudjoe stated. "I am not talking about the high-handedness of SALL, as for that one, if I add it, their sins will be worse. I will not cry for them, but I hope that it is done properly and that there are no faceless petitioners."

He reiterated, "I will never petition because everybody knows my position. We have petitioned the CHRAJ already on this matter, and I think they are working on it to see what they can do concerning some of these things, not necessarily their removal but to just prove that they were high-handed, evasive and somehow complicit in our financial woes."

SOURCE: CITINEWSROOM.COM 

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