The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has said it is deeply concerned about inflammatory and inciting content on the ongoing disagreements about the 2020 elections that are being published by the mainstream media.
“Such contents have included calls for confrontations, incitement to violence, blatant unsubstantiated allegations and other acts that do not bode well for the peace of the country.
“So far, the Ghanaian media have played a crucial role in the 2020 electioneering process despite the isolated cases of unprofessional conduct by a few media organisations. Ghanaians have relied on the media for information and education about the electoral process, voting process, collation, and declaration of results,” the Foundation said in a statement.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the results of the recently-held presidential and parliamentary elections have been rigged in favour of the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The NDC is blaming the Electoral Commission (EC) for declaring results of the presidential polls although it had appealed to the Commission to hold on until some sticky points were resolved.
NDC supporters have been holding sporadic demonstrations in parts of the country to register their disagreement with the alleged rigged elections.
MFWA, which champions the rights of the media and journalists in the West African sub-region regional, said it is important for the media and other stakeholders, to recognise and play the critical role of ensuring peace post-election.
This must be done while recognising the liberties of individuals and groups to use legitimate means to seek redress to concerns and for asserting their rights under the laws of Ghana.
“As the main source of information for the people, the media’s role in these critical times of tension is crucial than ever before. Media organisations and journalists need to recognise that their actions and inactions have the greatest potential of contributing to either the peace or instability of the country in these trying times,” MFWA said in the statement.
MFWA said through their actions, the media in Ghana can either help calm or amplify the tension in the country and urged them to act in ways that will ensure the calming of tensions rather than an escalation.
“While not encouraging any acts of censorship or self-censorship, we remind the media of their public interest responsibility and the need for them to live up to that responsibility. We further wish to remind the Ghanaian media fraternity of how unprofessional, partisan actions of media organisations and journalists have resulted in violence and ruined peace in some countries,” the MFWA stated.
The Foundation called on media organisations and journalists to strive towards easing the growing tension by being circumspect in what they publish or broadcast.
“This, the media can do by avoiding the use of and disallowing others from using hate speech, stereotypical comments, inflammatory and provocative remarks, inciting and other indecent expressions and pro-violence language on their networks or in their publications,” the Foundation stated.
President Akufo-Addo (L) and John Mahama