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Media practitioners must ensure critical and in-depth reportage towards inclusive, free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, the Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Mr Sulemana Briamah, has stated.
He said journalists were not immune to the effect of violence and that they were the first and worst victims in the event of breakdown of rule of law and democratic order.
Mr Briamah made the call at a two-day engagement with media personnel on countering misinformation to promote participatory democracy, and peaceful elections in Ghana.
The event was aimed at contributing to the strengthening of the role of media professionals to promote participatory democracy with lessons learnt and best practices to free, fair, inclusive and peaceful elections in Ghana.
Organised by the Political Affairs Directorate of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS), the programme was under the theme: ‘An encounter and experience-sharing with media professionals to promote participatory democracy and inclusive electioneering process in Ghana.’
The MFWA Executive Secretary asked journalists to be objective, accurate, fair, balanced and impartial in the discharge of their duties, ahead of the December 7 polls.
The ECOWAS Commissioner, Abdel-Fatul Musah, who was represented by the Head of Democracy and Good Governance Division, Department of Political Affairs Peace Security of the Commission, Mr Ebenezer Ofosu Asiedu, stressed the need to build the capacity of media personnel in order to enhance their work.
He said, “If the media are free and their content balanced, they can foster transparency and disseminate important electoral information.”
Mr Asiedu said as the country approached the General Election, the role of the media had become more significant.
“Your role in providing campaign platforms, fora for public debates and as a public educator on electoral process has, therefore, made the media a crucial component of elections”, he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Ms Rebecca Ekpe, expressed worry that, “misinformation is a biggest threats to Ghana’s elections.”
She stressed that as part of efforts to address the problem of misinformation in the country, the GJA had trained over 150 journalists across the country.
Ms Ekpe commended ECOWAS Commission for the initiative, stating that it would help improve the practice of journalism in the country.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
