Listen to Justin Bayor
The West African Network For Peace-building (WANEP), Ghana, has asked media practitioners to practice peace journalism so as to guarantee the country’s peace during this electioneering period.
Mr. Justin Bayor, the National Network Coordinator of WANEP-Ghana, said the country is currently experiencing security challenges hence the need for media practitioners to be circumspect in their reportage in order not to jeopardize the country’s fledgling democracy.
“Anyone who thinks Ghana is peaceful and can never go to war, is day dreaming’ Mr. Bayor said and noted that the nation’s security is no longer the duty of the security agencies but rather a shared responsibility of every citizen.
Mr Bayor, who made the call at a media consultative workshop in Ho on Friday, expressed concern about the use of vindictive and provocative language in the Ghanaian media.
He said the derogatory remarks creeping into the media landscape had the potential of plunging the nation into chaos, if not checked immediately.
Mr. Bayor said WANEP is engaging youth from 14 ‘hot spots’ across the country to be ambassadors of peace to ensure that the 2012 general election is conducted without rancor.
Some participants at the workshop blame the increasing use of foul language in the media on the commercialization of the media, which now superseded the public interest and called for the regular training of media practitioners as well as media owners on the modern trends in reporting and also on the need to always serve the public interest.
