Media are critical actors in Election 2012 – Former GNA Chief Editor

Mr Alex Lamte Lawson, former Head of Home Desk of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on Friday said the media had a critical role to play in shaping opinions of voters in decision making leading to the choice of candidates.

    

 He said the media also had the responsibility to provide accurate, balanced and adequate information about political parties, policies, rules and regulations, candidates and the election process.

     

Mr Lawson was addressing journalists and stringers of GNA at a workshop organized by the Agency to upgrade its human capital for in-depth coverage of election 2012.

     

It is sponsored by STAR-Ghana, a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism funded by UKAID, USAID, European Union and DANIDA to increase the influence of civil society and Parliament in the governance of public goods and service delivery, with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of Ghana's government, traditional authorities and the private sector.

    

 Mr Lawson said elements of electoral reporting were accuracy, balance, knowledge of electoral process, impartiality and fairness and observed that some media houses in the 2008 General Election were reporting perceptions as facts while some allegations on the field were generalized.

 

Mr Lawson also noted that some reportage during the 2008 election created tension. Lives of Electoral Commission (EC) officers were put at risk and some EC offices were vandalized, staff attacked and electoral materials destroyed.

    

He said it was a must for journalists to be knowledgeable about laws and regulations that governed elections.

   

 Mr Lawson noted that journalists who did not report facts as they occurred were not trusted and would find it difficult to get information.

    

 He said the media competed to get stories, but it was an ethical responsibility not only to be the first but to be accurate and impartial.

    

 "The media must endeavor to give equal space and air time to all competitors in the game."

    

Mr Edward Ameyibor, former Supervising Chief Editor of GNA, said journalists must report impartially, be fair, balanced, objective and address concerns of all political parties.

 

He said the GNA had covered Ghana and its neighboring countries for 55 years extensively and had supported other media houses with accurate and objective news.

Mr Ameyibor said it was not appropriate for journalists to take money from politicians and other people. He also cautioned journalists not to skew stories or write stories to destroy other people.

 

GNA