Kwasi Gyan Appenteng (left) addressing the media
The National Media Commission (NMC) is worried about the use of offensive words in the Ghanaian media, especially on radio.
It follows calls for the body – which is constitutionally mandated to regulate media operations in the country – to do something about erring media houses.
With election 2016 just a few months away, the commission has devised a strategy to monitor and sanction offending media houses, with the recent offensive effusions by host, Mugabe Maase and two panelists on Accra-based Montie FM cited as reference point.
This is in view of the fact that some politicians have resorted to the use of inflammatory, distasteful and provocative language during electioneering campaigns.
That, according to the Chairman of the NMC, Kwasi Gyan Appenteng, “underscored the alarm and the need for the nation to ensure that the abuse of our airwaves does not lead to violence during this election season.”
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, he therefore underscored, “We will like to assure Ghanaians that while we are able to deal with these eruptions as they occur, we have deployed and continue to use strategies that in the long term will rid us of such abuses of our media resources, especially broadcasting.”
Present were George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of the NMC, Kakra Essamuah, Samuel Atta Mensah, Kwesi Pratt Jnr and Perry Ofosu – all members of the NMC – and a host of others.
The commission has developed a number of documents that contain guidelines for media activities, including guidelines on political journalism, political advertising, local language broadcasting, fair and equitable coverage of all parties by the state-owned media and print media guidelines whiles urging media practitioners to incorporate these guidelines in their everyday work.
With support from the European Union Commission, the NMC has established a media monitoring centre in Accra and Kumasi to help track media performance and identify professional gaps for the requisite regulatory interventions.
The EU Commission is said to have also donated a mobile monitoring unit which can be deployed to monitor the media in any part of the country.
Also with the support of the European Union and STAR Ghana, the NMC has set up advisory committees in the Volta, Ashanti, Upper East and Northern Regions, which were inaugurated between January and March this year.
The NMC hopes to set up similar committees in all regions as soon as funds become available for that purpose.
That is intended to help manage the media space more effectively across the country before, during and after the elections.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu