Journalists and other media professionals in Ghana have been urged to uphold their ethical responsibility of reporting accurately and credibly in the upcoming general election.
Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Francis Osei-Nsiah, says the media should guard against being used as channels for misinforming the public and inciting unrest before, during, and after the December 7 polls.
He stressed the significance of providing impartial and balanced coverage of the presidential and parliamentary polls to avoid electoral violence.
“During the Election Day, journalists must make sure information put across to the public is not inaccurate, so as not to create chaos and violence to disrupt the elections,” said Mr. Osei-Nsiah.
He was speaking in Kumasi at a media training on election organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) under the theme: “Improving Media Skills for Factual Reporting and Combating Misinformation and Disinformation Related to Elections”.
The training aimed to strengthen the media’s capacity and knowledge of electoral processes to promote fact-based reporting.
Mr. Osei-Nsiah emphasized the need for journalists to conduct due diligence before sharing any information they gather on the electoral process.
“Media professionals should be mindful when sharing content created by political figures known to disrupt election processes and sow discord in the country’s peace,” he said.
He added that the media has the responsibility of ensuring peace as the country heads for the polls.
“Media professionals need to be reminded of their responsibility to ensure peaceful elections,” he said.