The sanctity of parliamentary reporting is under threat as untrained bloggers and social media influencers have virtually taken over press briefings in Parliament, sidelining accredited members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC).
What used to be an exclusive preserve for specially trained and accredited parliamentary reporters has now become an all-comers affair, with bloggers dominating coverage of major press conferences, particularly those organised by the Minority caucus.
At recent briefings, the bloggers, often in their dozens, arrive ahead of accredited PPC members, mount their cameras and tripods, and occupy all available space.
By the time members of the PPC arrive, the venue is already filled to capacity, forcing them to stand or squat to do their work.
The situation is raising questions about information flow in Parliament.
While accredited members complain of not being notified about in-house briefings, the bloggers appear to receive information at lightning speed and are always first to arrive.
Executives of the PPC say they are equally at a loss as to how the bloggers get wind of parliamentary press conferences.
The development has also put the spotlight on Parliament’s Department of Media Relations, which is responsible for liaising with the press corps.
Members accuse the department of being selective in assigning coverage and failing to regulate access to press briefings.
They are therefore calling on the leadership of Parliament to intervene and restore order by ensuring that only trained and accredited members of the PPC are allowed to cover official activities in the House.
By Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor
