The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has formally demanded a public apology and retraction from JoyNews following what he describes as a “gross misrepresentation” of his remarks made during an interview on the Super Morning Show on May 2.
In a strongly worded protest letter addressed to the producers of the show, Afenyo-Markin expressed “strong displeasure” over a headline circulated by the media outlet that read: “NDC is a sellable brand – Afenyo-Markin commends ruling party’s rebranding effort.”
The headline, he argues, was both misleading and damaging, creating the false impression that he was endorsing the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). “It strips my comments of their full context, misrepresents my intent, and unfortunately exposes me to unfair public criticism and political mischief,” he stated.
The Minority Leader clarified that his remarks were an objective political analysis, highlighting how party branding can influence electoral outcomes, and not an endorsement of any political party. “Let me be clear: I did not endorse the NDC. I simply made an objective, contextual observation about party branding in Ghanaian politics,” he reiterated.
Although the headline was later removed following his intervention, Afenyo-Markin maintains that the damage had already been done, citing widespread circulation by other media outlets which, he claims, entrenched a false narrative.
As part of his demands, Afenyo-Markin has called for:
1. A full retraction of the misleading headline across all platforms, including social media.
2. A corrected and contextualized version of his remarks published with equal prominence.
3. A formal written apology from the editorial or production team responsible.
He emphasized the media’s responsibility to report accurately and fairly, particularly on sensitive political issues, warning that failures of this nature compromise journalistic integrity and public trust.
The Multimedia Group, operators of JoyNews and Joy FM, are yet to publicly respond to the Minority Leader’s letter.
