By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, Nov. 28, GNA – Media practitioners have been urged to use their platforms to promote peaceful language expressions and fact-based narratives to guarantee peace before, during and after the December 7 general election.
Nana Kwesi Gyan Apenteng, a Communication and Media Consultant, who made the call said peaceful language was crucial for maintaining the country’s democratic credentials and reminded journalists of their ultimate role in promoting use of decent expressions on their platforms for a peaceful 2024 general election.
He said this in Takoradi, when the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) organised a day’s forum for morning show hosts, producers, and presenters of political/current affairs programmes to secure their commitments to peaceful expressions in the 2024 election to consolidate Ghana’s democracy.
The forum was part of a project being implemented by the MFWA, with funding support from the US Embassy in Ghana, and dubbed: “Countering Mis/Disinformation and Language Behaviours that can lead to Violence in Ghana’s 2024 Elections”.
As part of the project, the MFWA conducted a daily monitoring of selected programmes on 30 radio stations in Ghana between July and August, 2024 to ascertain use of indecent expressions, the radio station hosts who made indecent remarks, and use of abusive and inappropriate language directed at political opponents, institutions, and other groups.
It was found out that excessive partisanship, particularly between the two main political parties and their commentators, and the media sometimes tend to fan toxic narratives and divisiveness around electoral processes to control a political discourse.
It is against this backdrop that the MFWA brought together selected journalists from the Western, Western North and Central regions to foster peaceful election and consolidate Ghana’s democratic gains through countering mis/disinformation and negative language behaviours that could lead to violence in the upcoming election.
Nana Apenteng, said journalists to must foster a culture of respect and tolerance for opposing views among themselves and their panelists, saying “Your work is to let the truth emerge, and not make yourselves the star of your shows.”
He also urged presenters and hosts to remain impartial and neutral, and avoid taking sides or promoting their own opinions, while ensuring that all panelists received equal airtime and opportunities to express their views.
Touching on promoting election integrity, he asked the participants to undertake fact-based reportage and conduct in-depth analysis and investigations to uncover potential electoral irregularities, such as voter suppression or manipulation.
“As media professionals, we must promote critical thinking and media literacy by encouraging citizens to evaluate information critically and seek out multiple sources of information to help prevent the spread of mis/disinformation,” he said.
Nana Apenteng further advised political leaders and their supporters to commit to peaceful campaigns, focusing on issues rather than insults to help protect the peace and stability in the country.
Dr Kojo Impraim, Director, Media for Peace and Sustainable Development at MFWA, said the media played a crucial role in promoting information hygiene in the context of election security.
It was, therefore, a call to duty for media practitioners to protect and correct the ‘ills’ in the information ecosystem in order to promote information integrity and the integrity of the impending election, he said.
GNA