Media shedding off their agenda setting role - Prof. Karikari

Ghanaian media is gradually shedding off their agenda setting roles into the hands of politicians and decision-makers, Professor Kwame karikari, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, has said.

He said it was a worrying trend that politics had taken over most radio stations and newspapers to the detriment of local and social issues pertaining to governance and development.

He was speaking at the launch of the foundation’s project dubbed: “Using Radio to promote Effective, Participatory and Accountable Local Governance in the Western Region of Ghana 11” in Takoradi.

He said radio stations in particular must be relevant to their communities by discussing local development and governance issues to ensure local participation and democracy.

“Radio should be relevant to address local issues that confront the people and the politics of that same locality to enhance the growth and welfare of the people,” he added.

He said various studies conducted had revealed serious defects in the local radio adding, “Press freedom will not be useful if we do not use it well”.

Professor Karikari said the project which is the phase two had come to enhance transparency and accountability at the local governance level in the region.

Ms. Abigail Larbi, the Programme Officer, said the first phase implemented in eight districts with nine radio stations in the Region achieved a remarkable success in the area of increased leadership responsiveness to development needs and concerns by the citizenry.

Under the phase 11, the project would cover an additional six districts and partner six radio stations to institute weekly local governance issues to engage citizens and assemblies on local governance and development.

Ms. Larbi said the foundation believed that true democracy and development are enhanced when the processes that allowed and ensured that citizens fully participated in their own governance.

Capt Anthony Cudjoe, the Municipal Chief Executive, said information and communication constituted a key building block for sustainable democracy and thus the role of the journalists are very crucial.

He therefore lauded the Media Foundation in its bid to use the radio as a tool in promoting participatory democracy particularly at the local level.