[ 2012-07-15 ]

Restrain politicians from owning broadcast stations - Akoto Ampaw
Mr Akoto Ampaw, a member of the National Media
Commission, at the weekend said it was safer for
Ghana to permit politicians to own newspapers.

He, however, suggested that politicians should be
excluded from broadcast ownership since:
“Broadcast stations have immediacy and could
inflame passion before reason is adduced. If you
want to be a politician, stay out of broadcast
ownership.”

Mr Ampaw made these observations at a two-day
capacity building workshop for staff of the Ghana
News Agency (GNA) in Ho on Saturday.

Mr Ampaw said that politicians could use the
broadcast media to undertake political
mobilisation through hate-speech and prejudices.

He said that politicians could be given the
platform on broadcast medium to propagate their
messages without necessarily owning such
stations.

Mr Ampaw said that radio and television as a means
of private political mobilization was dangerous to
society.

He said politicians could, however, own newspapers
because they do not pose the danger associated
with broadcast and radio stations because of
greater surety of gate-keeping.

Mr Ampaw referred to the Rwanda genocide and the
recent post-election violence in Kenya, and
cautioned Ghanaian journalists that they face
individual and collective risk if they took the
path of trading in politically motivated
prejudices and hate-speeches.

Mr Mawusi Afele, Acting General Manager of GNA,
exhorted journalists to sieve facts from
propaganda, stereotypes and prejudices and be
guided by its house styles.

He extolled them to be constantly guided by the
ethical and editorial judgement in order not to
inflame passion.

Source - GNA

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