Media personnel have been admonished to help build faith in the electoral process in the upcoming 2020 general elections.
The media is expected to play a crucial role on ensuring that the electoral process goes in smoothly through accurate reportage of events leading to the election, during the election and after the election.
At a workshop organised for media personnel in six regions of the northern belt including the Upper East Region, Upper West, North East, Oti, and Savana, the National vice president of the Ghana Journalist Association, Mrs. Linda Asante Agyei, advised media person to churn out accurate information during electoral reporting to build public faith in the electoral process.
Mrs. Linda called on the security agencies and all other responsible agencies to take steps to apprehend persons behind behind fake news websites and blogs to weed out persons churning out false information to the public.
Dr. Bonnah Koomson, a media consultant and a member of the GJA emphasized the need for Journalist to adhere to the principle of accuracy as contained in the GJA code of conduct.
Dr. Koomson also advised Journalist to desist from been affiliated to a political party as that can influence how such journalist report on the activities of political parties and political activist. “Being affiliated to a political party has the tendency to influence the neutrality of the Journalist. This is against the code of practice of the GJA”
Dr. Koomson also called on media personnel to desist from “calling elections” which is solely the responsibility of the electoral Commission vested with such powers by the constitution of Ghana.
The training program was organised by the electoral Commission and the GJA to equip journalist with the appropriate knowledge for accurate election reporting. At the Radach Hotel in Tamale, the capital of the Northern region.