Prof Amin Alhassan, Director General, GBC and Dr. Sarah Dsane unveiling the logo for the policy
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has launched its strategy for providing equal coverage of political parties’ activities leading to the 2020 elections in December.
The strategy, which was contained in a new policy guideline outdoored during the state broadcaster’s engagement with representatives of political parties in Accra, has the overall objective of strengthening the democratic culture of the country.
It is also to give political parties and candidates fair and equitable opportunity to inform and educate the public about their programmes, as well as afford the public the best opportunity to make informed decisions in the elections.
Acting Director for television, GBC, Ebenezer Ampaabeng, outlining the details of the policy, said the state broadcaster would be providing its services to political parties contesting the elections as provided by the Electoral Commission (EC).
He said GBC would endeavor to provide an honest, accurate and fair reportage of political activities while distinguishing between opinions and facts in its presentation.
“All different points of views shall be afforded fair and equitable opportunity and time for broadcasting. GBC shall make available to all registered political parties and candidates advertising space or slots and airtime for programmes without favour,” he explained.
He further observed that the rate, terms and conditions for advertising airtime would be the same for all political parties and candidates as well for slots on programmes aired by the station.
However, he said there were different categories of advertisement and their corresponding cost of airtime would apply based on the political parties’ preference.
Mr. Ampaabeng also indicated that GBC would use its seven official languages—Ga, Nzema, Dagbani, Hausa, Akan, Ewe, English—in the presentation of news and the programmes it produces during the period of the elections.
“Political parties or candidates have the freedom to use any local language(s) of their choice for their broadcasts,” he said.
The director of TV said GBC would however not rely on Social Media for sources of information as far as election reporting was concerned.
“If for any reason a story must be sourced from social media, the reporter or producer who picks it up must declare its source and immediately subject it to the editorial guidelines in force at GBC,” he said.
In line of keeping to the strategy, the management of the state broadcaster has constituted the GBC Political Broadcast Complaints and Monitoring Committee to see to the smooth implementation of the policy.
The 15-member committee headed by Dr. Sarah Dsane, among other things, would periodically vet all advertisement emanating from registered political parties, candidates, political support groups and other stakeholders to ensure that the content of such items were in line with GBC broadcasting standards and that of political journalism by the National Media Commission (NMC).
Chairperson of the event, Chairman of the NMC, Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, who inaugurated the committee entreated the members to ensure the policy is effectively implemented.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri