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The president of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has said that compliance or non-compliance with the state’s obligation to the media carries a responsibility that the media dare not shirk.
Dr. Roland Affail Monney said this responsibility relates to orchestrating a campaign speech devoid of linguistically toxic material that sections of the media blatantly spread.
He spoke at a training on electoral media organized by the GJA and the Election Commission held in Accra.
“Language shapes behavior, hostile communication can trigger violence, and once violence breaks out, no one can say when it will end and the damage it will cause,” warned Dr. Morney.
He noted that the Association takes note of the proliferation of dubious websites and their poisonous content in the 2020 election season.
The GJA president advised the public not to consume such useless content.
The Association also urged the law and order community to deal quickly and surgically with violators.
Dr. Monney thanked the EC for their quick response to train the Association members on the electoral process after a short notice.
“The GJA is also very grateful to the EC for absorbing the cost of the identification cards for the elections.
“We painfully remember the scenario in 2016 when the EC imposed the cost on journalists and the reaction, as expected, was swift and bitter,” he said.
He said that Covid-19 and the death of former President Jerry John Rawlings have dramatically lowered the political temperature, but they do not remove the fact that the danger of media-induced violence still looms.
This danger, according to him, should signal a clear warning to the media not to push the nation on the path of self-destruction.
Dr. Monney said that the media had an onerous responsibility to help build faith in the electoral process, adding faith in any election is as important as its outcome, so all media should help achieve this. sacred political goal.
“Regardless of its partisan orientation, all the media should help to achieve this sacred political goal, but that does not mean that the media should spare the EC the gift of criticism because such criticism should help improve our electoral management system. and destroy it, ”Mr. Monney said.
