Journalists urged to be instruments of peace, not war

Ghanaian journalists have been urged to use their mediums to seek solutions to conflicts in society and not aggravate them.

The Editor of Public Agenda, Mr. Amos Safo, said in a conflict, describing the problem in a different way can reduce tension and launch negotiations.

He said professional journalists can present accurate and impartial news to prevent conflicts but on several occasions, journalists inflame passions through their choice of words.

"In good journalism, editors and reporters are always looking for a different angle and alternative view, a new insight which will attract an audience to the same story. Good journalism can help reframe conflicts for the two sides", Mr. Safo pointed out.

He emphasized that it is the role of journalists to dowse flame of conflicts but not to use their powers to fuel conflict. Mr. Safo said these at a media training workshop in Accra, organized by Community Development and Advocacy Centre, Ghana, (CODAC) and the Commonwealth Foundation, UK to help improve reporting skills of media practitioners.

Mr. Safo spoke on the topic, "Reporting Democracy and Governance: Guidelines for Journalists." He said economic development thrives on democracy and that definitions of democracy continue to evoke controversy though its goes hand in hand with development.

The Editor said governments must operate in the interest of the people while they are monitored. He said the 1992 constitution empowered the media to ‘concretize democracy by acting as a watchdog over governmental and other important sectors of national life.

"The media has been given a crucial role to play in the governance of the country."
Mr. Safo said although governments will always prefer to manage information, it is the duty of the media to keep them on their toes to help build democracy and accountability.

According to him, Ghana's current democratic dispensation requires the media to discover and release information that replaces rumor and speculation.

"It is the role of the media to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable by providing a voice for those who cannot normally be heard in public", he emphasized.

Mr. Ransford Tetteh, President of the Ghana Journalists Association, (GJA) who spoke on "Journalists and the Challenges of Nationhood", said the media must not take its constitutional role for granted but use it to help society move forward.

He said values have changed and for journalists to play the vanguard role of moving society forward, they need to develop their capacity while they seek expert knowledge on issues before putting them out.

"The media has a crucial role to play in national development so we must use the tool in our hands well to make the system better."

Mr. Tetteh observed that journalism has become challenging, that explains why people are quick to criticize as some practitioners commit blunders. The GJA, he said cannot regulate the media but is only concerned with issues of ethics and professionalism.

He urged the media to present balanced information to win public credibility. "Though one can be critical, you should also be balanced. Even though the constitution allows freedom of association, journalists need to sit back and watch in order not to be seen as biased."

On the perceived delay in the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill, Mr. Tetteh said the GJA will continue to advocate to get the bill to parliament by organizing roundtable forums. He added that when passed it will not only benefit journalists but all and sundry.

The Managing Editor of the Weekly Insight Mr. Kwesi Pratt, speaking on "Globalization and Democracy in Africa- the Role of the Mediaâ", said globalization started when people begun to realize the need for interdependency.

"Democracy ought to mean more than the Western definition for it. It is important for Africa to go beyond the terms and concepts of globalization to find out what can be done to ensure that in the creation of resources it can realize its full human potential,â"he explained.

On how globalization is faring alongside democracy, Mr. Pratt said globalization and all its pretences about democracy are leading to poverty, illiteracy and diseases. He questioned what becomes of the value of the media if 50 percent (50%) of the people in the country cannot read and write.

"Declarations of freedom of speech though exist are out of equation if you can't express yourself. For all these freedoms to be meaningful, illiteracy needs to be conquered."