The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, Jean Mensa, has appealed to journalists to exercise circumspection in their reportage, as the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections approach.
According to her, next year’s elections will be a test of Ghana’s democratic resilience and that the media have a role to play in ensuring that peace prevails.
As the Special Guest of Honour at the 27th Ghana Journalists’ Awards, 2023, in Accra, on Sunday, she said the role of journalists cannot be overemphasised in the next national elections, hence her caution.
She was speaking on the theme: “Leveraging media freedom to sustain the democratic and security architecture: The Litmus test of election 2024.”
The EC chair noted that media freedom was tied to democracy and national security, hence practitioners’ conducts could either impact the nation positively or negatively.
“We are all aware of when the role of the media goes unchecked… your exercise of freedom in the 2024 elections could potentially make it break our nation. This is a sobering truth,” she reiterated
She pointed out that the genocide in Rwanda was a clear case study for the media to exercise restraints in the discharge of their duties, by avoiding misinformation, disinformation and propaganda.
In the light of this, the EC chair charged media practitioners to go beyond the rhetoric and be practical of their professional ethics and assignments to the state.
She congratulated all the 30 journalists who picked up awards, particularly the journalist of the year, Erastus Asare Donkor.
On his part, the Minister for Information, Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah, advised the media against the growing menace of misinformation and disinformation. He said if the incident went unchecked or reduced to the minimum, it would erode our democratic gains.
Minister Oppong-Nkrumah revealed that there would be a stakeholder engagement with the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Judiciary and others who matter, to investigate attacks on the media. He said the engagement is about giving account to the people on these criminal cases.
The award night had the National Chairman of Ghana Peace Council, Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu Gyamfi chairing the occasion, and the United States of America Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Virigina E. Palmer in attendance.
The other awardees were;
Anthony Adongo Apubeo (GNA) – Education
Beatrice Senadju (GBC) – Health
Della Russel Ocloo (Daily Graphic) – Agric & Food Security
Vivian Adu (Atinka Media) – Gender
Newsfile (Joy FM) – Radio Programme (English)
Fred Duhoe (CitiTV) – News (Television)
Akua Oforiwa Darko (GBC) – Environment & Science
Gifty Adjei (GBC) – Features (TV)
Alberto Mario Noretti (The Mirror) – News (Print)
Emma Davies (MultiMedia Group) – Business/Economics
Mohammed Fugu (Daily Graphic) – Domestic Tourism
Kweku Bolton (GBC) – Arts & Entertainment, Francisca Enchill (Joynews, Freelance) Investigative Journalist, Edward Adeti (The Fourth Estate/Media without Borders)
Crime/Court, Erastus Asare Donkor (Multimedia Group) – Illegal Mining (TV)
Emmanuel Dzivenu (Joy Prime) – Disability
Eric Mensah-Ayettey (Myjoyonline) – Columnist
