Archbishop Palmer Buckle and Chief P.A Crystal -Djirackor confering during the launch of the Code of Conduct
Radio and television broadcasters who encourage intemperate language will be fined GH¢1,000 after repeated warnings from the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).
Anytime a broadcaster encourages vitriolic utterances, a written warning will be issued to the erring broadcasting house. After repeated warnings, a fine of GH¢1,000 will be imposed on the habitual defaulter.
The strict sanctions form part of provisions stipulated in the new code of conduct aimed at guiding and monitoring operators in the Ghanaian broadcast media.
The 14-page code of conduct was unveiled at the Accra International Conference Centre yesterday, July 10 2012. It contains approximately 18 articles that spell out guidelines on how the broadcast media should conduct themselves in their daily reportage.
According to officials of GIBA, the need for the code of conduct was necessitated by the increasing incidence of vitriolic statements made on various media platforms in the country particularly in the run-up to the December 2012 elections.
The regulatory body of the private broadcasters in the country is convinced that if a serious cap was not placed on the excesses in language and expressions in the media, it could plunge the country into a state of chaos during the 2012 general elections.
“One of the major props of democracy is free media. However, while good journalism brings blessings and joy, bad journalism brings untold hardships and sorrow to countries, groups and individuals,” stated Dr. Afari Gyan, chairman of the Electoral Commission, in the foreword of the code. “By this code, GIBA is not only asking its members to practise good over bad journalism, but it is also telling them what constitutes good journalism on one hand and what constitutes bad journalism on the other hand.”
Chief P.A Crystal-Djirackor, President of GIBA, said the launch of the code was a timely intervention to stem the growing incident of inciting language being used on radio and television, the two most powerful media platforms in the country.
The two main political parties in the country, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been cited as the main culprits of incendiary utterances in the media.
Currently, the two parties try to outwit each other in their bid to win political power. In their bid, they often indulge in bitter exchanges, including personal attack. According to communication experts like Professor Kwame Karikari, head of the Media Foundation for West Africa, these exchanges risked exploding the already seething tensions into full scale violence that could spill over into the 2012 general elections.
Dr. Kwasi Anin, Director of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre, recently told DAILY GUIDE that the December 2012 election had high stakes for politicians and in their bid to win power at all cost, they could inadvertently plunge the country into civil strife from the kind of messages they broadcast on media platforms.
Recently, the Media Foundation for West Africa, began a campaign to “name and shame,” all radio and television commentators who incited tension in the country. The initiative does not have a specific punitive sanction, though.
However, the GIBA code takes the fight a step further by prescribing sanctions.
By Raphael Adeniran
