A one day seminar aimed at consulting with and sensitizing the media on the need to promote peace before, during and after the December elections has been held in Sunyani for media personnel in the Brong–Ahafo Region.

It was organised by the West Africa Network for Peace building-Ghana (WANEP Ghana) for journalists, editors and radio programme directors under the theme: “The Role of the Media in Preventing Violence in the 2012 Elections”.

Mr. Justin Bayor, National Network Coordinator, WANEP-Ghana, said as the 2012 elections approached amidst various security concerns and challenges, it was vital that adequate measures were put in place to minimize election-related violence in the country.

He urged the media to play their gate-keeping role effectively to ensure peaceful elections and appealed to politicians to tone down their utterances to ensure they did not inflame passions to create violent situations.

Mr. Bayor asked the National Media Commission (NMC) and National Communications Authority (NCA) to set up a mechanism that would check and control local radio stations that broadcast stories from affiliate stations in Accra.

He urged radio stations to operate within their communities and avoid sourcing news from other stations elsewhere.

Some of the participants appealed to media house owners to ensure the proper training of reporters whilst others asked media personnel and editors not to allow their political interests to override their professional ethics.**