3 December 2008
Mrs. Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, Member of the Council of State has launched a brochure on election coverage, with a call on journalists not to compromise fairness and objectivity as they cover next Sunday's presidential and parliamentary polls.
"Let Ghana reign supreme on polling day. Let not any form of inducement compromise fairness, objectivity and the resolve to consolidate our independence and freedom. May it not be said that the media opened it doors to individuals with selfish ambitions to derail our democratic culture. May God help us to be discerning in the discharge of our watchdog role," Mrs. Affenyi-Dadzie cautioned.
The "GJA Guidelines on Election Coverage" brochure is a revised edition of the 1996 one. It was mandated by the National Executive of the GJA, and undertaken by a seven-member 'Group of Eminent Persons' mostly journalists and an election expert, and sponsored by the French Embassy in Ghana.
Some of the 23 pieces of guidelines in the brochure dealt with political parties' access to the media, activities of incumbents, accuracy and fairness, avoiding conflicts and prejudice, political parties and candidates and issue-based coverage.
It also dealt with manifestoes, bribes and other inducements, accreditation and reporting election dispute.
The booklet comes in a time when some Ghanaians have expressed some level of disquiet about the role of the Ghanaian media in the 2008 election.
Mrs. Affenyi-Dadzie called on media practitioners to apply a great deal of circumspection in their gate keeping roles during, before and after the elections.
She added: "we should not give politicians the chance to make baseless criticisms which cannot be supported. Please, let us not publicise any results which does not emanate from the Electoral Commission, Let us be careful with comments from losing candidates".
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