Seth Osei Acheampong, WPV President
The World Peace Volunteers (WPV), on Wednesday, appealed to journalists to refuse all forms of inducements from politicians and individuals with special interests in the upcoming general election.
Mr Seth Osei Acheampong, WPV President, said the media were expected to be responsible, objective, independent, accurate, ethical and truthful in their reportage.
They could only do so if they refuse all forms of inducements, aimed at helping one achieve his or her personal and selfish interests, he said.
Mr Acheampong gave the advice at a WPV organised a news conference in Accra on the theme: “A Call for Partnership towards Ensuring a Free, Fair and Peaceful Elections”.
He, therefore, called for a collaboration with members of the Media fraternity to promote a peaceful election and post-election order and stability.
Mr Acheampong asked journalists not to let the standards they had set be to be compromised for propaganda purposes.
“It is the media that set agenda of public discussions. You tune the minds of people to make informative decisions regarding national issues. A high sense of responsibility is therefore expected of you in consolidating our democracy through constructive reportage.
“For national cohesion and the development of our democracy, the WPV kindly appeals to you not to amplify derogatory and baseless statements by politicians, especially statements that have to do with ethnicity, religion and culture.
“You are not expected to set agenda for negative discussions. An ugly story must be killed before it becomes news, that is responsible journalism,” he advised.
Mr Acheampong asked journalists to see themselves as bridge builders who did not need to write or broadcast everything that they see or hear.
He reminded Journalists that Ghana was a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society populated by various faiths.
He, therefore, called on political front-liners to guard against comments that were detrimental to culture, traditions and beliefs of any section of the citizens.
Mr Ato Bonful, Programmes Director, Centre for Performance Tracking and Outcome Mapping, said Ghanaians should be more concerned about how each party’s candidate could help to resolve national problems, and not be blinded by love for an individual on a ballot paper or party colour.
“Let your conscience direct you. Can you sleep peacefully after asking someone to hit another? If not, then don’t put yourself into that trauma,” he advised.
