Towards a befitting media culture for Ghana

Ghana’s media culture has been on shaky grounds for some time now. Typically, it is too easy to put everything down to laziness. For people like me, this analysis is more guesswork than something verifiable. A more plausible explanation is found with the politicisation of the Ghana’s media apparatus and how it has panned out for Ghanaians. Whilst this might be a rewarding venture for obvious reasons, the consequences largely speak for themselves. It is a situation that calls for something substantial in the form of a media culture in Ghana that would espouse objectivity, truthfulness and balance.

The context of information-flow, with democracy in mind, has shifted in Ghana. But it is questionable if the country’s media establishment has woken up to this reality. Going by the trash that continues to be churned out, I am not surprise to hear some say it is an unprecedented crisis. In terms of the peace and stability that Ghanaians continue to enjoy to this day, those concerns are justified. Ghana’s media, too often, has been the centre stage for mischief and noise-makers that want to play ‘political ball-games’ with the authority of the state.

Regulating free speech is complicated, difficult and not the easiest of equations to balance. As a result, it has been largely left to the media to police itself. But the Petition clearly brought things out into the open about this approach. When warnings proved to be ineffective, it was left to the Supreme Court (SC) to act decisively. This may not be to the liking of all but in the end the State’s authority is paramount and its laws are not just there for ‘show’. Listening to the disturbing noises at the time, the perpetuators were the architects of their own misfortune.

Free speech or not, the media has to adhere to reasonable standards and ethical codes. After all, the peace that prevails in the country is also for their benefit. It beats me why the media would want to be seen as part of a process that had some Ghanaians on edge. Even though Ghana’s political culture is matured enough to withstand this, the SC’s intervention was just the antidote to known mischief-makers. Likewise, having placed faith in the law, the least owed to Ghanaians is to protect their rights and ensure those who want to disturb their peace do not get off lightly.

The individuals that found themselves on the wrong side of the SC, if anything, was taught that the State’s authority is not a talking exercise but a process that bites when ‘push comes to shove’. Looking back, the utterances that landed them in ‘deep water’ should never have seen daylight if the media really had its house in order. With the SC’s intervention, Ghana now has the time and space to review the situation including the future implications. Nonetheless, where will the country end up if it has nothing to keep tags on the media with the political forces at play?

Ghana has enough on its plate without having to tempt fate. If democracy is going to take off in a way that will empower and uplift all Ghanaians, the media must grasp that politics is not the ‘be and end all’. Given the educational challenges, the risks are obvious even though the security measures in place are reassuring. On the other hand, however, a responsible media apparatus can do wonders for Ghana’s democracy especially when it comes to the issue of ownership. In fact, they hold one of the final jigsaws to accentuate the fundamentals that it belongs to all Ghanaians and not just the political elite.

Engagement and participation as endorsed by democracy does not require any country to bank all its chips on politics. Likewise, it does not justify the media being used to scare-monger, divide or mislead. This cannot go unchecked if Ghana is serious about its political future. Sadly for Rwanda, this was not realised until the loss of over a million lives, leaving the country with huge challenges in the areas of justice, reconciliation and rebuilding. For this, the powers exercised by the SC were timely, reasonable and worthy of thought not just from a media viewpoint.

No Ghanaian, as I must say, is above the law be it a citizen, group or establishment. The time has come for the media to show its hand in the quest to build a better future. Continuing down the path of ‘dirty politics’ at a time when Ghana’s democracy is reaching out for great things will be a recipe for disaster. As an establishment, it must be seen as being in touch, responsible and accountable. Ghana’s well-being as a nation depends on a media culture with working structures that show high regard for objectivity, truthfulness and balance.

Richmond Quarshie