Photo courtesy of Ghana Police Service Facebook page
President John Dramani Mahama has named COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno as the new Inspector-General of Police on March 13, 2025. The announcement, grounded in the presidentโs constitutional authority and made after consultation with the Council of State, signaled a shift in leadership within the Ghana Police Service. Yet, the way this transition was packaged in headlines across media outlets revealed more than just a change in personnel. To me, it exposed the subtle art of sensationalism and its impact on public perception.
For instance, the term ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ, 'prominently' splashed across headline-graphics and news outlets, implies a harsh; almost punitive dismissal of Dampare (a man widely recognized for his reforms and disciplined leadership since assuming office in 2021). "๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ John Dramani Mahama ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ง. ๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ ๐ผ๐ ๐ช๐๐๐ค ๐ฟ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐", one headline blared, as it conjures images of disgrace or failure. But does this ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ-๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ป๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฃ align with the reality of the situation?
Official reports frame the move as part of a broader restructuring effort under Mahamaโs administration, that is; a 'routine transition' rather than a scandalous ousting. The gap between "sacks" and the more neutral "replaces" or "appoints" is where the story takes on a life of its own.
In journalism, headlines are the hook. They are short, sharp and designed to grab attention in a crowded (digital) media landscape. "Sacks" fits this mold perfectly. Itโs a word loaded with emotion, implying conflict, rejection, or incompetence. For Dr. Dampare, whose tenure has been marked by community engagement initiatives and internal discipline measures, such a term risks overshadowing his legacy with an exaggerated narrative of downfall.
Contrast this with the official narrative. The headline-graphic of GHOne reads, "๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐๐, ๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ค๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ง๐ค๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฎ, 14๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ 2025." No mention of disgrace, no hint of punitive actionโjust a leadership change. Ostensibly, GHOne's headline-graphic avoids sensationalism, instead providing a factual account of the transition. This approach is refreshing and meaningful, especially when compared to other outlets that resort to sensationalism to compete with the visceral pull of a word like "๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ."
Few may disagree, but this is not a new phenomenon in Ghanaian media or beyond. Headlines have long been a battleground for shaping public opinion, especially around high-profile figures like Dampare. When he was appointed in 2021 by then-President Nana Akufo-Addo, most media outlets hailed him as ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐. Fast forward to 2023, when a leaked audio surfaced suggesting a plot to remove him, and headlines oscillated between intrigue "๐ฃ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ" and defense "๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ". Now, with his exit, the pendulum swings again, with "๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ" casting a shadow over his achievements.
The choice of words matters because it shapes public perception. A headline like "Mahama Sacks Dampare" feeds into the controversy surrounding his replacement. Skimming the news sites through the average reader's lens, the headline is often the whole story. "Sacks" tells a fiery story and defeat. One may ask: should media outlets temper their language to acknowledge the ambiguity of the situation, or is the onus on readers to dig deeper? Well, as a professional journalist, I think that in an era of knee-jerk reactions, the latter feels overly optimistic. A more neutral headline, "๐ ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ต๐๐ป๐ผ" lacks punch but allows the facts to breathe without being suffocated by hyperbole.
Dr. Dampareโs career, from a constable at age 20 to a PhD-holding IGP, spans decades of service, culminating in a role where he reshaped policing in Ghana. COP Yohuno, his successor, brings his own pedigree, having risen through the ranks to Deputy IGP. The transition itself is a story of continuity and change, not a sensational story of dismissal. So senior editors, please always be there to approve first. As the saying goes, "well done is better than well said," and in journalism, accuracy is the best editor.
