GJA pressured to uphold ethical standards

With less than nine months for Ghana to go to the polls, the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) is being called to institute punitive measures against media houses that encourage temperate language on their airwaves.

In recent times, the media landscape has been charactised by indecent languages from both politicians and their followers and the GJA is being cautioned that the trend could spell doom for Ghana if the necessary steps are not taken to address the problem.

Speaking on e.tv Ghana’s morning show, Awake, the Communications Director of the Progressive Peoples’ Party and former Managing Editor of the Today newspaper, Mr Richmond Keelson, praised the GJA for its efforts to ensure temperance on the airwaves.

He, however, noted that the recent launch of the 4-part project aimed at using the media to enhance transparency and credibility in this year’s elections would be futile if standards are not measured effectively.

Mr Keelson questioned the paunchiness of the rules and ethics that govern members of the GJA and National Media Commission (NMC).

According to him, “the anxiety to break through the competitive media landscape has allowed people to do all sorts of things.”

He acknowledged the fact that most media houses as well as presenters and hosts have their own soft spots and inclinations towards one party or the other and cautioned that in the wake of tension build ups, people were likely to lay aside their ethics and values.

He called on the GJA and the NMC to put in place censorship and proper criteria in the licensing of media houses.

He also called on hosts and presenters to be in control of programmes and ensure that anyone who made any unsavory utterance rendered an apology to save the country from ending up in chaos.

Mr Keelson cited the attacks and brutalities which had charactised the ongoing biometric registration as a clear example of the power of the tongue and advised political leaders to be temperate and diplomatic in their process of communication with their followers.

 Jasmine Arku/etvghana.com

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