A cross section of voters in the Sunyani Municipality have called on the government to train the media and to prepare them well to cover and report on the Election 2024.
They explained that the media required the training to refresh the minds of the practitioners that would empower and position them to guard against ‘sensationalism’ in their election reportage.
This would help curtail political tensions before, during and after the December 7, polls.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Raphael Ahenu, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation (GloMeF) said the media remained a key stakeholder in ensuring peaceful Election 2024.
The GloMef is a media advocacy and anti-corruption Non-Governmental Organisation that works to improve the livelihood of vulnerable people in society.
“We can’t neglect the media and expect them to cover and report on the Elections professionally. Journalism is changing and the government must take the responsibility and sponsor them to understand contemporary trends of reporting on Elections,” Mr Ahenu stated.
For his view, Mr Francis Osei, a civil society actor, told the GNA that though the media in general were doing well, some of the media houses and journalists needed training on Election and peace, saying “professionalism of some of the media houses is below the belt”.
“From the way some of the media houses are behaving, the government must sit up and be proactive before the unexpected happen,” he stated, saying “the government should not sit down and watch the media to trigger political violence”.
Mr Moses Benneh, a political analyst urged the media to be circumspect and regard ethical values in covering and reporting the General Election.
He admitted that though media practitioners had their choice of political parties, they must bury their biases and remain professional and neutral in the discharge of their duties as required by the 1992 Constitution.
Madam Bernice Anima, a teacher, also commended the media for their roles in educating the masses and contributions towards consolidating the gains of the nation’s fledgling democracy, urged the practitioners, especially radio presenters to be mindful of the choice of words and their political utterances.
Some of the electorates also spoke against the practice of unguarded prophecies and predictions on the Elections by some men of the Gospel.
They told the GNA those predictions remained unhealthy and had dire consequences on the nation if they were not brought under control.
“Those prophecies turn to create public mistrust in the EC and such men of God must be tamed,” Mr Kwasi Amankwaa, a political activist stated.
