The Stability Of A Democracy Correlates To The Neutrality And Competence Of Local Media

The media constitutes a formidable force that can shape the destiny of States as it wields enormous power overnational political and social development. It is for this reason that the media has been given the attribution, the ‘Fourth Estate of the Realm’. That the media plays a vital role in democratic governance is without doubt.

This is why press freedom is one of the earliest casualties in an assault of a dictator on the rights and liberties of the citizen. A vigilant and vibrant press is a bulwark against tyranny, as it will expose the deficiencies of an incompetent administration, much as it will uncover corruption and other social vices. Journalists expose societal problems and provide aplatform for public deliberations needed to reach a comprehensive solution.

In Ghana, the media has enhanced the boundaries of responsible and accountable government since 1992. Ithas given a voice to the voiceless and reduced the rural-urban dichotomy in terms of access to information. This is mostly attributable to the fact that the press has the ability to convey to voters political information needed to allow the latter to consciouslydetermine their electoral standpoint.

Some of the critical contributions of the media in democracy enhancement include:the surveillance of socio-political developments;the identification of vital socio-economic issues;the creation of a platform conducive for fruitful public debates;the promotion of public sector accountability; and broad-spectrum citizens’ education.These essential functions of the media enabledemocracy stakeholdersto resist external pressures that undermine citizens’ independence and most importantly, their intelligence.

Yet, the media can also be manipulated to subvert the very society it is supposed to serve. Where the press abandons its lofty ideals and journalists suppress the truth, or contrive to have the truth truncated, they prepare the ground for misrule and anarchy. In the end the press men and women are also inevitably devoured by the monster which they wittingly or unwittingly created.

In the history of our Nation, we have witnessed the different phases in the development and protection of press freedom. Sadly though, until recently, even members of the press did not recognize their own unenviable descent along this slippery slope until they became the pawns of ambitious politicians by whom they were beguiled.

Today, the 1992 Constitution has fully restored the protection of the freedom of the press. Thisrightmust however be exercised responsibly to protect the citizens and the governing structures of our democracy, and to safeguard the integrity of the press itself. The press must disseminate the truth and provide a balanced coverage of matters and events affecting our country. This way the citizens will be educated and informed to exercise their franchise and to contribute to the democratic governance of the country. People have the tendency to believe what they read in the papers, hear on the radio or see on television. It is the responsibility of those who control these platforms to ensure they do not deliberately distort facts or news to mislead, misinform or mislead the people.

It should be noted that press freedom is not absolute. The application thereof must respect the rights and freedoms of citizensand not be detrimental to the general public’s interest. It is alarming to see how nowadays media houses reveal the identities of ordinary citizens in bold headlines,often intotally unfounded and unchecked stories. We have over the years witnessed Presidents being insulted blatantly in a manner which is ‘un-Ghanaian’. The use of foul language on a daily basis in radio programs has unfortunately become nothing to write home about.

As much as the press protects and educates people, it can also be a source of panic, disaffection and acrimony among the various segments of society. The media can be used as a tool to create ethnic and political divisiveness among different parts of the population. The experiences in the run-up to the 2008 and 2012 elections where some media houses actually incensed chaos and mayhem should not be allowed to happen again.

Of particular concern are the Radio Talk Shows. These talk shows are not inherently objectionable. Properly handled, they provide a useful avenue for citizens to discuss national issues freely. Often however, some of these talk shows are often hijacked by professional commentators whose contributions to the discussions are of little benefit. Instead of constructive debate, they indulge in vituperations. Those involved in this reprehensible conduct may constitute a small number, but they are loud enough and persistent enough to amount to a menace to our society and the ‘desecration of the freedom of speech and of expression’.Often there is no restraint in the choice of language or in the vilification of opponents.

The actions of these talk shows are dividing the Nation and causing incalculable damage. They polarize the Nation, particularly along party political lines. They encourage factional animosity and acrimony between political opponents. It is time to bring an end this evolving culture; otherwise our beloved Nation couldplunge into chaos and anarchy, our pretensions to democratic credentials notwithstanding.

Below are a few suggestions for averting this impending crisis:

• Talk show hosts should use their power to control and sensitize the direction of the radio discussions and comments.
• Radio program producers should use their discretion inselecting and empanelling commentators judiciously.
• In case of call-in contributions, the technology nowexists for the delaying the contributions, such that the hosts and producers can expunge objectionable portions of an exchange on the radio and television.In the US where the practice started, a caller does not instantaneously go on air. As the caller speaks, the delay system releases the words almost live. The moment the producer realizes a caller is going abusive or vulgar, the person is cut off before listeners hear anything. This should be part of our system to allow free expression and yet protect the rights of other and public decency.

It is our moral duty as Ghanaians to work together to fight this menace. We should strategize to take the unnecessary heat and rancour out of our political discourse. The future of our democracy depends on this!

Mr. Ernest Twum
Policy Advisor and Researcher
CiPED Movement
[email protected]
www.cipedghana.org

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