The Ghana Journalist Association(GJA), has commended the Electoral Commission for absorbing the cost of ID cards for the media ahead of the 2020 election.
He recalled with pain, the scenario in 2016 when the EC inflicted the cost of ID cards on poor journalists, recording a alot swift and sour backlashes.
Speaking at the GJA/ EC Media training on Electoral reporting, President of GJA, Dr Roland Affail Monney proposed that henceforth, the State factor the cost of media coverage of elections in the national budget.
“As we consign the pain to the dustbin of history, we propose that henceforth the state factor the cost of media coverage of elections in the budget. Every official who performs election related duty is compensated; Why not journalists who provide the oxygen for this critical process? This logical argument should be the basis for ferocious and tenacious advocacy which should be waged by the media and their allies before the next election so that journalists get their fair share of the electoral pie,” he said.
Dr Affail Monney noted that the fulfillment or even non-fulfillment of the state obligation to the media comes with a responsibility which the media must not and dare not shirk.
“This responsibility relates to orchestrating a campaign discourse devoid of linguistically toxic material which sections of the media shamelessly disseminate,” he said.
The GJA President who noticed that language shapes behaviour, hostile communication can trigger violence, noted that once violence erupts, no one can tell when it will end and the damage it will cause.
He, therefore, advised that we do not start violence at all.
According to Affail Monney, the GJA also takes note of the mushrooming of dubious websites and their poisonous contents.
While advising the public not to consume them, he urged the law and order community to deal swiftly and surgically with the offenders.
He said in previous election years, particularly in 2008, Ghana came bone-rattlingly close to a disaster of unthinkable proportions, all because of media recklessness.
He again identified that Covid and the death of former President, Jerry John Rawlings have drastically reduced the political temperature, adding that this does not obscure the fact that danger of media induced violence looms.
“This danger should signal a clarion caution to the media not to push at all to push our dear nation to the trajectory of self-destruction,” he said.
“The media again have an onerous responsibility to help build faith in the election process. Faith in any election is as important as its outcome. Irrespective of their partisan orientation, all media outlets should help achieve this sacred political goal,” Dr Affail Monney added.
Dr Affail Monney again stated that in our globalized era, what happens anywhere can affect what happens everywhere.
He said news about President Trump giving the go ahead for the transition to start after the nail biting election is cathartic indeed.
“The lesson here is that no nation is democratically whiter than white, nor purer than pure. We are work in progress. We pray that the ugly scenes and anxious moments will serve as a fountain of lesson from which all the political actors in Ghana must drink as we head towards another crucial election on December 7.
Meanwhile, the EC Chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensah noted that the media and the EC have critical roles to play in the upcoming election, urging the media to ensure that the outcome of the election does not bring chaos in the country as it also promises to ensure peaceful, free and fair election.
Ghana |Atinkaonline.com | Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori