Media Foundation condemns attack on journalists
THE Media Foundation for West Africa has condemned the wave of New Patriotic Party (NPP) sympathisers’ attacks on journalist and is calling on the leadership of the party to instruct their followers to desist from any harassment of media persons performing their normal functions.
According to the foundation, “it was unfortunate that while discharging their duties, sections of the media and some journalists had reportedly been harassed by some aggrieved NPP supporters.”
Ever since the result of the 2012 election was announced last Sunday, reports of some radio and television stations reporters—Metro TV, TV3 and Joy FM - have been physically or verbally abused have traversed the media landscape.
Civil society organisations including the Ghana Journalists Association have condemned the attacks, urging the NPP to apologise to the media houses that were attacked by the irate party supporters.
Addressing a press conference is Accra to digest the conduct of the media during 2012 elections, the Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr Sulemana Braimah, observed that while it was the constitutional right of the NPP supporters to demonstrate peacefully, the media also had the right to report on the happenings of society for the general good of all.
He, therefore, called on the security agencies to protect media persons covering political activities, and bring to book anyone who attacks the media persons performing their roles.
On election coverage, he said the foundation’s monitoring of the media during last Friday’s polls showed that “although there were some isolated cases of unprofessional conduct, the media generally exhibited an appreciable level of professionalism in the coverage and reportage of elections”.
The MFWA also observed that the media’s coverage of the elections was very comprehensive as generally, all parts of the country were covered and happenings in all polling stations, communities and collation centres were fairly reported.
That, he said, was commendable especially when journalists had to cast their votes on the same day, adding that the level of coverage had largely contributed to the success of the whole electoral success.
“As mirrors of society and an interface between the general public and the appropriate institutions/agencies, the media coverage drew the attention of the Electoral Commission to polling stations that were experiencing technical challenges, late arrival of materials, the need for backup services and the presence or absence of security officers.”
Since 2004, sections of the media had come under condemnation from both NDC and NPP stalwarts who accuse the media for broadcasting, publishing and projecting the results.
In this year’s elections, the situation was no different as media houses were being attacked for projecting results of last Friday’s polls but Mr Braimah discredited such assertions, saying media projections were part of the electoral system in other jurisdictions. Therefore, the Ghanaian case was no exception.
“In reporting results, the media were careful to indicate which results published were provisional and which had been confirmed by the EC.”
“In any case, media projections can not prevent the EC from declaring the right result. In our case, the EC cannot declare any other party the winner of the elections assuming it was the CPP for instance that won,” he said.
He said prior to the elections, the foundation organised a number of fora both in Accra and Kumasi with the aim of sensitising political activists, the general public and the media against the use of abusive language on radio and the need for the media to be more responsible in the coverage of the elections.
The foundation also observed that on December 6, 2012, most of the media did not engage in political advertising or discussion programmes in compliance with the directive of the EC that there should be no political campaigning 24 hours before and during the voting days.
Additionally, Mr Braimah said even though the MFWA’s monitoring of the election week recorded some indecent expressions, they were relatively low.
According to the foundation, “it was unfortunate that while discharging their duties, sections of the media and some journalists had reportedly been harassed by some aggrieved NPP supporters.”
Ever since the result of the 2012 election was announced last Sunday, reports of some radio and television stations reporters—Metro TV, TV3 and Joy FM - have been physically or verbally abused have traversed the media landscape.
Civil society organisations including the Ghana Journalists Association have condemned the attacks, urging the NPP to apologise to the media houses that were attacked by the irate party supporters.
Addressing a press conference is Accra to digest the conduct of the media during 2012 elections, the Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr Sulemana Braimah, observed that while it was the constitutional right of the NPP supporters to demonstrate peacefully, the media also had the right to report on the happenings of society for the general good of all.
He, therefore, called on the security agencies to protect media persons covering political activities, and bring to book anyone who attacks the media persons performing their roles.
On election coverage, he said the foundation’s monitoring of the media during last Friday’s polls showed that “although there were some isolated cases of unprofessional conduct, the media generally exhibited an appreciable level of professionalism in the coverage and reportage of elections”.
The MFWA also observed that the media’s coverage of the elections was very comprehensive as generally, all parts of the country were covered and happenings in all polling stations, communities and collation centres were fairly reported.
That, he said, was commendable especially when journalists had to cast their votes on the same day, adding that the level of coverage had largely contributed to the success of the whole electoral success.
“As mirrors of society and an interface between the general public and the appropriate institutions/agencies, the media coverage drew the attention of the Electoral Commission to polling stations that were experiencing technical challenges, late arrival of materials, the need for backup services and the presence or absence of security officers.”
Since 2004, sections of the media had come under condemnation from both NDC and NPP stalwarts who accuse the media for broadcasting, publishing and projecting the results.
In this year’s elections, the situation was no different as media houses were being attacked for projecting results of last Friday’s polls but Mr Braimah discredited such assertions, saying media projections were part of the electoral system in other jurisdictions. Therefore, the Ghanaian case was no exception.
“In reporting results, the media were careful to indicate which results published were provisional and which had been confirmed by the EC.”
“In any case, media projections can not prevent the EC from declaring the right result. In our case, the EC cannot declare any other party the winner of the elections assuming it was the CPP for instance that won,” he said.
He said prior to the elections, the foundation organised a number of fora both in Accra and Kumasi with the aim of sensitising political activists, the general public and the media against the use of abusive language on radio and the need for the media to be more responsible in the coverage of the elections.
The foundation also observed that on December 6, 2012, most of the media did not engage in political advertising or discussion programmes in compliance with the directive of the EC that there should be no political campaigning 24 hours before and during the voting days.
Additionally, Mr Braimah said even though the MFWA’s monitoring of the election week recorded some indecent expressions, they were relatively low.
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