Prioritise peace, conflict sensitive reporting ahead of elections – media urged

The National Peace Council has called on Ghanaian journalists and media practitioners to prioritise peace journalism and conflict-sensitive reporting, to ensure stability before, during and after the country’s general elections next December.

It has also tasked journalists and stakeholders working in the media fraternity to employ fact-checking mechanisms to verify information before publishing and broadcasting, to help fight and curb the spread of fake information and news.

The Council further stressed the need to engage in issues that would unite the country after the election and avoid activities that have the tendency to divide and destabilise the country.

Frank Wilson Bodza, the Deputy Director in charge of Conflict Management and Resolution, at the National Peace Council, made the call in Bolgatanga at a two-day media training on conflict-sensitive reporting, organised for selected journalists and media practitioners in the Upper East Region.

The training was organised by the Upper East Regional Peace Council in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) under the auspices of the second phase of the Preventing Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (PoVETSA) project with funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The project works with stakeholders, seeking to contribute to efforts aimed at enhancing social, peaceful co-existence and democratic stability in Ghana by nurturing a culture of richer narratives that promote fact-based discourse and encourage engagements across groups with divergent opinions.

It also seeks to contribute to strengthening Ghana’s peace and democratic stability by fostering a national ecosystem that detests hate speech, incitement to violence and other narratives that promote toxic polarisation.

The media practitioners were therefore taken through conflict-sensitive reporting, hate speech, misinformation, disinformation and peace journalism among others, to equip them with knowledge and skills to be sensitive in their reportage to promote peace before, during and after the December Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

Bodza indicated that the role of the media in maintaining the prevailing peace before, during and after the election was paramount and the journalists needed to prioritise conflict-sensitive reporting and contribute to strengthening the social cohesion of the country.

“We are engaging the media to do everything possible to prevent conflict from happening before, during and after the election,” he said, adding “…we don’t want to create a situation where these violent extremists can infiltrate into the country.”

Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, Chairman of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, said chieftaincy and land disputes were the major causes of conflict in the region and there was the need to report sensitively to help find lasting solutions to them.

Ali Anankpieng, the Executive Secretary of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, said context was key in conflict-sensitive reporting, adding that it provided the background, history and root causes of the conflicts for appropriate judgment, recommendations and resolution.

In her remark, Adelaide Yiriyelleh, the PoVETSA Project Manager, CRS, said since 2022, the project which was in its second phase had been working with various stakeholders to improve security-civilian trust relationship to strengthen social cohesion and prevent violent extremism.

“We cannot downplay the role of the media when it comes to promoting peace in Ghana in terms of advocacy and ensuring that we have peaceful elections, so we see this training as timely and we hope that you will step down this training to your colleagues at your various places of work,” she added.