The Ashanti Regional Media Advisory Committee (ARMAC) under the patronage of the National Media Commission (NMC) has organised a day’s forum to equip media personnel to combat issues of misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, information disorder (fake news) and hate speech among others, ahead of the December 7 elections.
The forum, under the theme: “Media Forum for Election 2024” provided an opportunity to participants to share experiences and suggest strategies to ensure peaceful elections.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Chairman of the NMC urged journalists to make sacrifices and guard the freedom we enjoy as a nation and protect the democracy by being “conscious and discreet” in their reportage and not hold themselves as merchants.
He cautioned that Ghana was not “immune to war”, because “war can ever happen in Ghana” with the slightest mischief of a journalist.
The NMC chairman disclosed that journalists are “Architects of Peace” and must not rush to spread news, whose source and credibility are not verified and ensure that “democracy” thrives in the country.
“This year’s election is critical, and journalists must be “objective” and not neutral because neutrality connotes negativity”, he noted.
He urged journalists to be alive to their responsibilities to avert war stressing “if we want Ghana to remain democratic, we must ensure a stable and orderly society”.
Mr. Boadu-Ayeboafoh advised journalists to be mindful of their language and diction and remain objective and not take a neutral stance on issues because neutrality connotes negativity.
He further advised journalists to maintain professionalism and put the interest of the nation first and not do the bidding of politicians stressing that “if we fail to be assertive in doing our job, we fall prey to the dictates of politicians and thus expose ourselves to hatred.
Paul Adu Gyamfi Esq., Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Media Advisory Committee disclosed that what media personnel report was “crucial and pivotal” in order to maintain the sanity of the nation.
He noted that Ghana needed the credibility of journalists to help her move forward and urged journalists to be circumspect in their reportage.
Mr. Osei Nsiah, the Ashanti Regional Director of Electoral Commission, acknowledged the role of the media and expected to see “peace” prevails in the country with the expectation that the winner of this year’s elections, would win on merit while the loser loses honourably under a transparent electoral process. .
The Electoral officer advised journalists to be abreast of the terminologies of elections and the EC emphasizing that media reports mean a lot to the EC and are expected to be accurate hence the need to distinguish between facts and mere opinions.
From Oswald Pius Freiku, Kumasi
