The Head of Legal at Action Chapel International, Bishop Dr Suzanne Nti, has charged the media to be unbiased in providing information about political parties, candidates, and their manifestos.
According to her, the media plays a pivotal role in ensuring the longevity of democracy, hence, in dealing with issues pertaining to elections, the media must always ensure that equal platforms are given to candidates to sell their messages.
This way, she said, the right information would be communicated to electorates who can then decide whom to elect into a political office.
Speaking at the Joy Change-Speaker Series VII on May 11, she said the media has a responsibility "To provide accurate and unbiased information about candidates, parties and issues and offer platforms for debates and discussion.”
She also expressed concern that the media had evolved to a state where in political discourse the culture of respect for the elderly is trampled upon, saying these values must not be discarded.
She charged the media to be very proactive by investigating and exposing electoral irregularities in the upcoming elections.
She said this could be achieved through fact-checking and verification of information to combat the growing threat of disinformation and misinformation.
Madam Nti also emphasised that the media must encourage voter education at all times. She referenced the just-ended Ejisu by-election, where the voter turnout was only 49%, raising concerns about the number that did not participate, saying that is not a good signal for the country's democracy.
In view of this, she emphasised the need to “Encourage education and voter registration, empower citizens to exercise their franchise. Foster public discourse on critical issues to facilitate informed decision making.”
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