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superseded the public interest and called for the regular training of media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.
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