The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has challenged journalists to be abreast with Ghana’s electoral laws and processes to dispel mis and disinformation often peddled by politicians with the tendency of fueling confusion in the country.
Speaking at a day’s workshop held for journalists in Kumasi, institutional development monitoring evaluation and learning manager with the MFWA, Daniel Kwame Ampofo Adjei reminded journalists of the power of the media to either build or unmake the entire country as Ghana heads for crucial national elections on December 7, 2024.
He pointed out, “The media has the capacity to make or unmake the development of a nation. “So if the media has the facts and the right information, we believe you are in the position to counter mis dis information and that is why we are on this exercise.”
“Just as the politicians need the media to propagate their message, the electorates also need the media to let the politicians know their interests and aspirations,” he further noted.
With support from the UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office the training headlined ‘Enhancing media capacity for fact based reporting and countering election based mis- and dis information was aimed at equipping journalists to hold the fort credibly as Ghana holds presidential and parliamentary elections in less than two months.
The Ashanti Regional director of the Electoral Commission Francis Osei Nsia took journalists through the Electoral laws, regulations, processes, the different documentation procedures, roles of stakeholders and officers as well as myths and misconceptions surrounding electoral malpractices and suspicions of rigging and manipulation of votes.
Journalists were allowed to ask probing questions which drew heated debates about the legal definitions for over voting; the possibility for ballot stuffing; double voting; the biometric verification process and the position of the EC on its staff taking food, water or other overtures from political parties while working.
Francis Osei Nsia advised journalists billed to report on this year’s elections, to stick to facts in line with responsible media practice rather than allow themselves to be used as conduits for propagating falsehoods.
“The media should not be allowed to be used as a conduit for any mishap on December 7. We should educate ourselves on the electoral laws, procedures and regulations so that in our media houses we can report knowledgably,” He admonished.
Journalists’ Pledges
Participating journalists shared insights and pledged renewed commitments to ethical and fact based reporting on the elections.
“As we have this knowledge; those who throw in misinformation and disinformation during the electoral period will be countered with the truth. This will calm down people who might think that something has happened to render the results of the elections not credible,” seasoned broadcaster with Kessben Media Wofa Kofi Appiah indicated.
“With just two months to go for elections, many of the questions that have been raised in the media have been resolved here and I know it will ease the tension,” a breakfast show producer of Abusua FM, pointed out.
An Ashanti Region Correspondent for Citi FM/Channel One TV Doris Lonta described the workshop as “an eye opener which has given journalists the opportunity to know more about the electoral processes, what is involved, what we should believe and what we should not believe.”
Ahead of national elections in December, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is embarking on a series of activities including media capacity building workshops, engagements with political party communicators, youth and women’s groupings; and its election year indecent language media monitoring exercises.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ivan Heathcote – Fumador
