Media practitioners have been reminded of their role in promoting peace in conflict areas. The Upper East Regional Peace Council Executive Secretary, Ali Anankpieng indicated that the media can help to reduce conflicts when they report based on facts and get the views of all stakes involved in a conflict.
“We believe that if the media decides to help prevent conflict, they can do it. Because they have the listenership, readers, and viewers. So we as a council believe that we will need the corporation of the media to be able to share our information with the public. We expect the media to consider themselves ready to help reduce the tension that is in the region.”
Ongoing government projects in some of these conflict areas in the region have come to a standstill.
Non Governmental Organizations, private organizations, and business owners are also pulling out because of the series of violence. This has affected the revenue generation of the assemblies.
But speaking during a round-table with journalists on conflict-sensitive reporting, Mr. Ali reminded them to always research before carrying out reports that will not endanger lives.
“We expect the media to consider themselves ready to help reduce the tension that is in the region. Thus Doba/Kandiga, Bawku, and Bolgatanga municipality through your reportage. We believe that conflict-sensitive reporting would help in that regard”, he added.
The objective of the discussion was to among other things discuss the essential journalistic requirements of objectivity, truth-seeking, framing, and the use of appropriate language in reporting sensitively on conflict.
It was organized by the Upper East Regional Peace Council in collaboration with the West African Network for Peacebuilding ( WANEP-Ghana).
The conflict-sensitive reporting for the journalists came through a project known as Northern Ghana Governance Activity, a USAID-supported project through the feed the future initiative.
A Conflict Mitigation Coordinator at WANEP-Ghana, Ben Kasimu Wumbla stated that conflict-sensitive reporting was dear to the organization because there were some reports carried previously by the media that could escalate conflicts in the country.
He, therefore, entreated the media to always cross-check to get the facts before they carry out any report on conflicts.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah
