The National Media Commission (NMC) and the National Communication Authority (NCA) gave the warning at a joint press conference Thursday on media responsibility in the run-up to the 2016 polls.

The two communication regulatory bodies said they would not hesitate to sanction any media outlet who flouted laid down regulations or breached ethical codes governing media operations ahead of the elections.

“You have to ensure that your platforms are not used to incite violence and in all situations diligently and independently investigate all allegations and claims by interest groups before putting them out,” the NMC Chairman, Nana Kwesi Gyan-Appenteng, said.

He reminded frequency authorisation holders of their responsibility towards covering the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections and the use of national recourses for public good.

“These obligations can be found under the terms of their broadcasting authorisations, the various guidelines of the NMC, the Code of Conduct of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters’ Association and the Code of Ethics of the Ghana Journalists Association,’’ he said.

The regulators also cautioned broadcasters against airing false news reports which have the tendency of escalating tension in the election period.

“We are aware of efforts by several institutions to foster an atmosphere of tolerance and peace,’’ Nana Gyan-Appenteng said.

The NMC and the NCA condemned acts of violence during elections because they threatened Ghana’s stability and diversity.

They also urged citizens to ensure judicious and responsible use of social media to promote peace.

Other stakeholders at the conference included Mr Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, the Board Chairman of  the NCA, Mr William Tevie, the Director General of NCA and Mr George Sarpong, the Executive Secretary of NMC.

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Source: GNA

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The committee, chaired by Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh, the Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, University of Cape Coast (UCC), is to serve a two-year term with the mandate to help settle complaints by and or against the media.

They would also address all issues related to the media in the region.

The members of the committee include Mrs. Alice Tettey, the Regional Chairperson of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mrs. Doris Ashun, an Educationist and Women’s advocate, and Mr. Anthony Vincent Ananse, a language expert.

Others are Mr. Isaac Oscar Odoom, an Economist, author and lay preacher; Mr. John K. A. Simpson, a Former Headmaster of Mfantsipim School, Mr. Joseph Connel of St. Augustine’s College and Mr. Ato Duncan, Chairman of the Regional Civil Society Coalition.

The Central Region’s Committee brings to five the number of such bodies following those inaugurated in the Ashanti, Northern, Upper East and Volta regions.

Mr Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, the Chairman of the NMC, inaugurating the committee, said it was its responsibility to ensure that the media lived up to its crucial role and responsibilities to ensure peace before, during and after the elections.

The inauguration, he said, therefore, came at a time the Commission needed to re-focus its energies on its core mandates, especially as the 2016 General Election drew closer.

He said the NMC was hopeful that the media would rise to the occasion and help confirm to the world that Ghana’s democracy had matured.

Speaking on the Content Standard Authorisation Law being challenged by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) at the Supreme Court, Mr Gyan-Apenteng expressed optimism that the judgement would clear the path for its implementation.

He said the Court case had even created much awareness on the law and helped modify behaviour and strengthened the creation as well as dissemination of content.

“The media should to be alive to their call to exercise freedom with responsibility and abide by the rules and regulations of media practice and make conscious efforts to follow the ethical precepts in the election period,” he said.

“We live in a country whose media is largely free to publish what they want without let or hindrance. We cannot take this freedom for granted and we cannot allow it to be abused”.

Mr Gyan-Apenteng, therefore, called for support for the Committee.

Mr. Simpson, who served as the interim chairman, expressed gratitude to the NMC for the confidence reposed in them and pledged on behalf of the other members to work assiduously to achieve their objectives.

STAR-Ghana sponsored the NMC for the inauguration.

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Source: GNA

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Nana Gyan-Appenteng was speaking at the opening of a two-day training for court reporters held on the theme: “Responsible and Objective Court Reporting before, during and after the election: The Media and the Law.”

The training is to update and equip journalists, particularly those on court beats with relevant information to enhance their work.

He said professional ethical journalism is an indispensable tool for judicial independence and accountability.

Nana Gyan-Appentang, who spoke on the topic: “Press Freedom and Responsibility: Is the media a threat to Judicial Independence?”, said the administration of justice was more important than journalists getting their scoop.

He urged journalists and media practitioners to cross check all information, get their ‘vitals’ right and understand the court cases thoroughly before reporting.

The NMC Chairman said journalists should also show compassion, restraint and have human understanding regarding cases they report on.

He said the media has a role to advocate access to justice and legal schemes for the poor.

“It’s also for the media to highlight the barriers to justice and suggest alternatives models and scenarios,” he said.

Nana Gyan-Appenteng said some of the barriers to justice include political, financial, cultural, linguistic, gender-specific, logistics and geographic.

Justice J.C. Amonoo-Monney, a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, called on court reporters to equip themselves with relevant legal documents to enrich their stories.

He urged journalists and media houses to use the correct legal expressions of terms used in trials to educate their audiences.

“Courts at the end of trials do not give ruling but rather they give judgment,” he said.

He said most journalists changed the court terminologies, which did not bring the right meaning in the story.

Mrs Grace Tagoe, the Director of Communication of the Judicial Service, said the Service duly acknowledged the media’s effort in bring accurate, balanced and fair information to the public.

She said there was no denying the critical role the media played in complementing the work of the judiciary in justice delivery.

The journalists were taken through topics like legal terminologies and courtroom etiquette, what constitutes contempt of court, types in relations to the media, court processes and procedures in criminal and civil cases and effective court reporting with emphasis on election petition reportage.

They were also exposed to improving access to justice: the role of the media as a partner, press freedom and responsible journalism: Is the media a threat to judicial independence and the role of the public complaint unit in effective justice delivery.

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Source: GNA

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