MFWA'S SECOND QUARTER FINDINGS ON MONITORING ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN LANGUAGE ON RADIO

Introduction
The monitoring of electoral campaign language on radio by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) was launched in January 2012. However, the daily monitoring of electoral campaign language on radio began in April 2012. The project which is being funded by STAR-Ghana seeks to contribute to ensuring issues-based and decent language campaigning in the 2012 elections.

At the end of the first quarter (April 1 to June 30), a forum was organised by the MFWA with the media, political parties, some civil society organisations and other stakeholders during which the main findings, trends and lessons learnt during the quarter were presented.The lessons learnt from the first quarter of monitoring and some suggestions/recommendations shared during the first quarter forum helped in enhancing the monitoring exercisein the second quarter (July 1 to September 29, 2012).

With the exception of some few variables, the major findings and trends observed in the second quarter did not vary much from that of the first quarter. This report presents a summary of the findings and trends observed in the second quarter with regard to the kinds of expressions used, the political party affiliation of those who made indecent expressions, and the radio stations on which indecent expressions were made.

General Findings on expressions used
Within the three-month period, a total of 1,263 reports were received on programmes monitored on 31 radio stations selected for the project. Altogether, 188 indecent expressions were captured on 118 programmes which were mostly political in nature.

In all, 10 categories of indecent expressions were captured during the period. Insulting/Offensive Comments (71) and Unsubstantiated Allegations (62) were the dominant expressions used to attack individuals of various political groupings in the country. Table 1 below presents the breakdown:

Table 1: Types of Expressions Used

Expressions Used and Political Party Affiliation

Out of the 188 indecent expressions recorded, 158were made by individuals belonging to six political parties; 23 were rebroadcasts of indecent expressions by some radio stations; and the remaining seven (7) were indecent expressions made by individuals and radio presenters whose political party affiliation could not be established.

Affiliates of the NPP were found to be leading in the use of indecent expressions in the second quarter. They recorded a total of 79 indecent expressions whereas affiliates of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) followed with a total of 58. The third political party whose officials were found to be abusive was the National Democratic Party (NDP). They recorded a total of 16 indecent expressions.

The other political parties whose affiliates used indecent expressions were the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP), the United Renaissance Party (URP) and the Independent Peoples' Party (IPP). Table 2 below presents the breakdown of the specific types of indecent expressions used by affiliates of the six parties.

Table 2: Expressions Used by Political Party Affiliation

Note: The remaining 30 indecent expressions not captured in Table 2 above were rebroadcasts (23) of indecent expressions by six radio stations and indecent remarks (7) made by individuals whose affiliation could not be established.

With regard to political parties with representation in Parliament, it was only the Peoples' National Convention (PNC) whose affiliates were not found to have used indecent expressions in the second quarter of monitoring.

During the period, five (5) individuals, including some Members of Parliament (MPs), were found to have made five (5) or more indecent remarks as detailed below:

Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, NPP MP for Assin North – 14
Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah, Ag. Deputy Communications Director of the NDP – 13
Mr. Ken Kuranchie, the Managing Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper and a sympathizer of the NPP – 7
Hon. Maxwell Kofi Djumah, NPP MP for Asokwa– 5
Mr. Eric Bawa, an NPP activist on Classic FM – 5

Expressions Used and Gender
A total of eight (8) of the indecent remarks recorded over the three-month period was made by six females. However, only one gender-specific indecent expression was recorded.

Expressions Used and Radio Stations
During the quarter, reports were received on programmes monitored on all the 31 radio stations selected for the project. However, not every report received contained an indecent expression. The 188indecent expressions were recorded on 22 of the 31 radio stations selected for the project.

Oman FMemerged the radio station on which majority (38) of the indecent remarks was made. Adom FM(23), Classic FM (22) and Radio Gold (20) followed respectively. Table 3 below shows the number of indecent expressions that was recorded on the respective radio stations:

Table 3: Number of Expressions recorded on the respective Radio Stations

Another notable finding in the course of the quarter was the persistent rebroadcasts of indecent expressions by some radio stations. Radio Gold was in the lead in the practice. In fact, half of the 20 indecent expressions recorded on the station were replays of indecent expressions. Asempa FM (5), Adom FM (4), Peace FM(2) Angel FM (1) and Space FM (1) were also found to be culprits in the practice.

General Trends
The trends observed in the second quarter did not vary much from that of the first quarter. Below are the dominant trends observed:

· Affiliates of the two main political parties in the country, NDC and NPP, are the dominant culprits in the use of indecent expressions on radio.

· Oman FMis the radio station on which a lot of indecent expressions are often made. The National Agenda and Boiling Point programmes are the platforms on which indecent expressions on Oman FM are usually made.

· Males dominate in the use of indecent expressions (males: 182 and females: 8).

Conclusion
Generally, discussions focused more on issues and some moderators were very professional in the conduct of their interviews, in-studio discussions and phone-in segments. Some of them made proactive efforts by cautioning callers in particular, to be civil in their language-use even before their phone-in segments. Others made panellists/callers withdraw certain inappropriate expressions that were used while asking for evidence for any unfounded allegation made.

On the other hand, some hosts/presenters allowed their platforms to be used to make unsubstantiated allegations and verbally assault political opponents. Unfortunately, certain individuals who had been cited in the MFWA's weekly reports as being abusive were interviewed or invited as in-studio panellists on a regular basis by certain radio stations thereby giving such individuals the platform to perpetuate indecency on the airwaves.

Another unacceptable development that was observed in the course of the monitoring was the rebroadcast of indecent remarks by certain radio stations, especially Radio Gold. As indicated in most of our weekly reports, the practice of replaying indecent expressions on radio tends to amplify such expressions and their potentially negative ramifications.

Recommendations
Even though political/ campaigning activities by the various political parties continue to intensify as the countdown to the 2012 elections draws near, this must not necessarily result in the use of indecent expressions. Discussions should, therefore, focus more on issues devoid of personality attacks, and political activists should desist from responding to intemperate expressions in kind.

The MFWA urges the media that as key players in ensuring peaceful, free and fair elections, the management; editorial boards; producers; and presenters of all radio stations should collaboratively ensure decency on their networks by insisting on the use of decent expressions by the people who feature on their airwaves.

The MFWA is also calling on the National Media Commission (NMC), the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to complement efforts being made to have a more professional media that can contribute positively to the peace and democratisation processes of the country.

Issued by MFWA in Accra on November 5, 2012
The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and all forms of expression.

For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84