The United States government has reiterated its commitment to supporting Ghana in maintaining peace before and after the December 7 polls.
One key approach the U.S. government is employing involves training media practitioners, especially those hosting discussions and creating content on current affairs and political programs. The goal is to ensure they carry out their responsibilities thoroughly and responsibly.
These initiatives, funded by the U.S. Embassy, Ghana, include workshops on identifying and addressing misinformation and disinformation, organized by Dubawa, as well as a recent one-day dialogue for morning show hosts, producers, and presenters of political and current affairs programs.
The most recent training session, held in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital, was conducted in partnership with the Media Foundation for West Africa. It brought together media practitioners from the five regions of northern Ghana.
“This is part of a whole list of activities to support democracy in Ghana,” said Matthew K. Asada, Press Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, during an interaction with journalists at the training event.
Ahead of the elections, Mr. Asada cautioned that misinformation and disinformation campaigns pose a significant risk, with the potential to interfere with and influence the electoral process. While security agencies play a critical role in safeguarding the elections, he emphasized the vital contribution of media practitioners. “Part of why this works is the role of the media in holding the government accountable and ensuring that the process runs smoothly,” he said.
It is also worth noting that the U.S. Department of State recently announced a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Ghana. This policy, aimed at deterring election-related misconduct, came into effect ahead of Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7, 2024.
“This is to deter bad behavior,” Mr. Asada said.
In addition, the U.S. government is supporting the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) in election monitoring and the Ghana Integrity Initiative in monitoring campaign financing.
Mr. Asada encouraged Ghanaians to turn up in their numbers on December 7 to participate in choosing a leader. “Do your civic duty like I did in the US. It is up to all of us to vote and participate and uphold the democratic system that we have. Whoever you decide to vote for, make sure you do it, make sure it is counted, and again, respect the process and the integrity of the process.”
At the training, Director of Media for Peace and Sustainable Development Programme at the Media Foundation for West Africa, Dr. Kojo Impraim, took journalists through the findings from the MFWA’s monitoring reports.
The MFWA is monitoring 30 stations across the country and measuring the use of indecent and intemperate language by show hosts and political discussants. Show hosts are also being monitored on their skill in moderating contentious political conversations and their ability to prevent the use of hate speech.
Dr. Impraim reminded media practitioners of their key role in promoting peace during and after the general election.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1MHz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
