Kathleen Addy
The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy, has issued a stern warning to media outlets, urging them not to provide platforms for political actors to propagate hate speech in the lead up to the December 7 elections.
Kathleen Addy’s caution comes in response to recent contentious exchanges on various media platforms that have heightened tensions among supporters of different political parties.
She emphasised that allowing hate speech to proliferate through media channels can potentially incite violence, leading to physical harm, property destruction, and loss of life.
Such actions, she noted, pose a threat to the democratic process by fostering intolerance, bigotry, and discrimination, all of which run counter to democratic principles.
During a press briefing on Monday, Ms. Addy underscored the pivotal role of the media in bolstering a country’s democracy.
“For every election year there is an emphasis on avoiding violence, intemperate language, insults, incitement, across various media platforms. Particularly for media, if you provide the platforms and the airtime and the space for political actors to exchange intemperate language, it affects our democracy,” she said.
She implored media organisations to be vigilant in preventing political figures from using their platforms to sow negativity and poison public discourse. Emphasising the importance of fostering constructive dialogue, Ms. Addy urged the media to steer clear of providing a platform for inflammatory rhetoric and disrespectful language.
In addition to addressing the issue of hate speech, Ms. Addy raised concerns about the proliferation of fake news in the media landscape. She highlighted the dangers posed by fake news, noting that it can sow confusion and misinformation among voters, potentially swaying public opinion and distorting political discourse.
Kathleen Addy called on the media to exercise diligence in fact-checking and verifying information before dissemination, cautioning against amplifying deliberate disinformation peddled by political actors for their own gain.
“Before we broadcast any news we need to crosscheck and verify information and make sure that it meets all the standards before publication. Let’s not give oxygen to deliberate disinformation and misinformation that political actors may throw out there as an advantage during this political season,” she said.
She called on the media to hold politicians accountable and pose probing questions that empower voters to make informed decisions come December 7, adding, “Let’s make sure that we demand accountability from the politicians, and this are the things that allow us to grow.”
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke