Journalists charged to help ensure peaceful elections

Journalists are called upon to use their gate-keeping method to guarantee that the December 2016 elections are very peaceful. devoid of any violence to enrich the credentials of the country.

The call was made by a senior lecture of Political Science of the University of Ghana, Dr. Seidu Alidu, during a media encounter in Tamale last week.

He said that it should not be assumed that the elections will be as peaceful based on past experiences, adding that the dynamics of this year’s election is different from the past ones.

The lecturer urged the journalists to identify the dynamics in order to forge ahead in a manner that can lead to accurate reportage.

Dr. Alidu said that political parties compete for power and mobilize votes based on identities of ethnic and geographical and religious bases, saying that some people will not compromise on their stands which may lead to violence.

He said the implications may be dangerous to the country’s democracy and urged journalists to report very accurately on the elections devoid of personal political affiliation.

He said the implications biased reporting may lead to violent conflicts within some ethnic, geographical and religious groups.

The Senior lecturer urged Ghanaians to have confidence in institutions mandated to conduct the December elections by accepting the outcome of the results without resorting to chaos.

Some of the participants said there is the need to abide by the ethics of the profession and dwell on issues-based reportage instead of sensationalism.

They appealed for cooperation for information from the Electoral Commission at the regional levels.