[ 2012-05-04 ]

NPP most guilty of indecent language again
Officials and supporters of the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) have once again been cited for using
the most “indecent expressions” on radio, says the
third monitoring report by Media Foundation for
West Africa (MFWA).

According to MFWA, it recorded a total of 21
“indecent expressions” from 14 programmes out of
31 radio stations between April 15th and 21st.

The report named officials, supporters and
activists of NPP, NDC, and PPP as culprits of such
indecent comments.

The NPP reportedly made 11 provocative remarks,
out of the total of 21 offensive languages
recorded whereas officials/supporters of the NDC
accounted for six of the indecent expressions.

One of the remaining four unacceptable
expressions was made by an official of the
Independent People’s Party (IPP) while the other
three were made by people whose group affiliations
could not be established.

Below is the full statement by the Media
Foundation for West Africa


FINDINGS FOR WEEK THREE OF MONITORING LANGUAGE USE
ON RADIO

Introduction

This report covers the findings of the third week
(April 15 to 21, 2012) of monitoring language use
on radio under Media Foundation for West Africa’s
project on: Promoting issues-based and decent
language campaigning in Ghana’s 2012 elections,
funded by STAR-Ghana. For the week under review,
indecent expressions were recorded on a total of
14 programmes aired on 11 out of the 31 radio
stations being monitored under the project.

Most of the reports on indecent expressions
received for the week revolved around the violent
ethnocentric utterances by Mr. Kennedy Agyapong,
MP for Assin North and the fallouts from that
incident. For instance, out of the 14 programmes
on which indecent expressions were used, 10 of
them were about Mr.Agyapong’s comments.

General findings on Expressions/tone used

A total of 21 indecent expressions were captured
by monitors during the week under review. There
were only three expressions/comments that were
captured as being worthy of praise. Out of the 21
indecent expressions recorded, five of them were
remarks calling for confrontation and violence,
eight were unsubstantiated allegations and four of
them were insulting and offensive comments. There
were two provocative remarks, one expression or
comment promoting divisiveness and another
expression containing a tribal slur.

With regard to the types of tone usedon the 14
programmes on which indecent expressions were
recorded, majoritywere unfavourable (8),
adversarial, harsh and provocative (8) whereas one
was threatening, overbearing and swearing.
Officials/supporters of the NPP were those who
used most (10) of these kinds of unfavourable,
adversarial, harsh, provocative and threatening
tone; followed by officials/supporters of the NDC
(6).

Expressions used by Officials/Supporters and their
Political Party or Group Affiliation

Generally, the people who featured on all the
programmes on which indecent expressions were
recorded were officials/supporters of registered
political parties, except a few whose affiliation
could not be identified.

Majority of the 21 indecent expressions recorded
during the period under review were made by
officials/supportersof the NPP. These NPP
officials/supporters collectively accounted for 11
out of the 21 indecent expressions recorded
whereas officials/supporters of the NDC accounted
for six of the indecent expressions. One of the
remaining four unacceptable expressions was made
by an officialof the Independent People’s Party
(IPP) while the other three were made by people
whose group affiliations could not be
established.

Specifically, four out of the five remarks
calling for confrontation and violence recorded
were made by officials/supporters of the NPP. It
must however be noted that not all the expressions
calling for confrontation and violence were
related to the comments made by Mr.Kennedy
Agyapong. Some of such comments related to the
on-going biometric registration exercise and the
assault on Ms. Ursula Owusu, the NPP Parliamentary
Candidate for Ablekuma South Constituency. The
other remark calling for confrontation and
violence was made by an official of the IPP.

Similarly, officials/supporters of the NPP
madefive out of the eight unsubstantiated
allegations registered over the one week
period.Officials/supporters of the NDC made one of
such allegations whereas the remaining two were
made by people whose affiliation could not be
determined.

The findings showed that officials/supporters of
only the NPP and NDC were the culprits of
insulting and offensive comments. Persons
associated with the NPP however made three out of
the four insulting and offensive comments
recordedwhile the other one was made by an
official/supporter of the NDC. All the two
provocative remarks registered over the one week
period were made by people who identified with the
NDC.Also, the only comment promoting divisiveness
was made by an NDC member. Similarly the only
comment containing tribal slur was made by another
NDC member.

However, an official/supporter of the CPP and the
NDC, as well as a Social Commentator, made the
three expressions registered as pacifist and
conciliatory.

Below are the names of the individuals who made
the 21 indecent expressions and the platforms on
which they made them:

Remarks calling for confrontation and violence

· Ken Adjei Korankye, affiliated to the NPP, made
a remark calling for confrontation and violence on
Hot FM’sMaakye programme on April 17, 2012.
· Steve Amoah of the NPP made another of such
comments during Boiling Point programme on Oman FM
on April 17, 2012.
· UrslaOwusu, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for
Ablekuma South made one of such remarks on
PeaceFM’sKokrokoo programme aired on April 19,
2012.
· Charles Owusu of the Independent People’s Party
(IPP) during a telephone interview on Peace FM’s
Mid-day News on April 16, 2012 made a remark
endorsing violence.
· Samuel Pyne of the NPP made a remark
endorsing confrontation and violence on Kesseben
FM’sMaakye programme of April 17, 2012.

Unsubstantiated Allegations

· Hopson Adoye of the NPP made an unsubstantiated
allegation during Boiling Point programme on Royal
FM (an affiliate station of Oman FM). The
programme was aired on April 17, 2012.
· AdomakoBaafi of the NPP made two different
unsubstantiated allegations on Oman FM’s Boiling
Point programme of April 17, 2012.
· Steve Amoah made another of such comments on
the same programme
· A serial caller known as Elliot believed to be
affiliated to the NDC made one of such comments
during Jubilee Radio’s Aguadze programme aired on
April 17, 2012.
· A serial caller known as Solo on April 19,
2012, made an unsubstantiated allegation on Skyy
Power FM’s Jolly Breakfast Show.
· On the same programme on Skyy Power FM,
Alhassan who is also a serial caller made another
unsubstantiated allegation against the NPP.
· Samuel Pyne of the NPP made one of such remarks
on Kessben FM’s Maakye programme aired on April
17, 2012.

Insulting and offensive comments (including name
calling)

· Adomako Baafi of the NPP made two of the
insulting and offensive comments recorded over the
one week period. The comments were made onRoyal
FM’s Boiling Point programme aired on 17th April,
2012 (the programme was picked up from Oman FM).
· Anthony Karbo, the NPP National Youth
Organiser, made another of such comments during an
interview on Peace FM’s 6:00pm news of April 16,
2012.
· Abdul RahmanUsman of the NDC also made one of
such comments during Radio Progress’ Super Morning
Drive aired on April 19.

Comments promoting divisiveness
· Collins Mahama of the NDC made the only remark
promoting divisiveness on Space FM during Space
Morning Flight programme aired on April 18, 2012.

Expressions containing tribal slur
· Atta Kusi of the NDC also made the only comment
containing tribal slur during Space FM’s Morning
Flight Programme aired on April 17, 2012.

Provocative remarks:
· Peter Otukunor of the NDC made one of
the two provocative remarks recorded on Uniiq FM’s
Morning Newspaper Review programme aired on April
20, 2012
· Collins Mahama of the NDC on Space FM
during Space Morning Flight programme on April 18,
2012 made the other provocative remark about the
NPP Flagbearer, Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo.

Expressions used on Specific Programmes

Generally, indecent expressions were recorded
mainly on morning and evening/night political
discussion programmes. As much as 17 of all the 21
indecent expressions recorded were made on such
programmes.

Expressions used on Radio Stations

There were five incidences of remarks calling for
confrontation and violence during the period under
review. Out of the six remarks, two were made on
Peace FM, and one each was made on Hot FM, Oman FM
andKessben FM.

The findings also showed that out of the eight
unsubstantiated allegations recorded, three were
made on Oman FM, two were made on Skyy Power FM,
and one each was made on Jubilee Radio, Kessben FM
and Royal FM.

With regard to the four insulting and offensive
comments recorded, two of them were made on Royal
FMand the other two, on Peace FM, and Radio
Progress.

The two provocative remarks recorded over the one
week period were made on Uniiq FM and Space FM.
Also, the only expression promoting divisiveness
and the only remark containing tribal slur were
all made on Space FM.

On the other hand, there were three reports that
cited very pacifist and conciliatory remarks.
These comments were on Ankobra FM, Radio Upper
West and Kessben FM. Below are the names of the
individuals and the specific praiseworthy
expressions made:

On Ankobra Breakfast Table programme aired on
April 20, 2012, J.K. Piedu, a Social Commentator,
said, “We should remove our political lens and
work towards peace.”

IshaqSuleman of the CPP made the following remark
on ‘Common Course,’ a programme aired on Radio
Upper West on 16th April, 2012: “Let us all preach
and pray for peace to prevail.”

Hon. OfosuAmpofoof the NDC said on Kessben FM’s
Maakye programme aired on 17th April, 2012, “… all
well-meaning Ghanaians should condemn anybody who
makes unguided statements and unite as a common
people with one destiny from one family.”

It is also worth noting that Peace FM and Citi FM
replayed the violent and ethnocentric utterances
of Mr. Kennedy Agyapong thereby repeating these
violent utterances. Similarly, Joy FM replayed Mr.
Samuel Awuku’s (Deputy Communications Director of
the NPP) address to some TESCON members in which
he made some violent remarks. The actions of the
three radio stations were considered
inappropriate; but those reports were not coded
and analysed because Mr. Kennedy Agyapong and Mr.
Samuel Awuku did not make the statements
originally on those stations.

Conclusion
While identifying the specific
officials/supporters of the various political
parties who made indecorous expressions, as well
as the stations on which those expressions were
made, MFWA also wants to acknowledge the important
role the respective moderators of the various
programmes played in managing or trying to correct
the unacceptable expressions that were made.

Generally, moderator’s handling of in-studio
discussions, interviews, text messaging and
phone-in segments were good. More than half of
them acted with professionalism and fairness. For
instance, the following hosts/presenters made
efforts to get the people who made indecent
expressions on their programmes to retract or
withdraw: EdemNyasorgbor of Jubilee Radio, Nana
AgyeiSikapa of Peace FM news, Nana Kyei (Nana
Kass) of Space FM andKwame SefaKayi of Peace FM.

However, a few of the moderators were found to
have performed below their professional
expectations; especially in managing in-studio
discussions and asking those who made certain
indecent expressions to retract or provide
evidence in the case of unsubstantiated
allegations. MFWA is therefore calling on all
hosts/presenters to emulate the examples of the
moderators mentioned above so that together, we
can promote issues-based and decent language
campaigning before, during and beyond the 2012
elections.

Source - RadioXYZonline.com

... go Back