Ghana Media Coalition Rejects EC’s Media Restrictions, Police Deployment, and Metro TV Invasion

The Media Coalition has strongly opposed the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to restrict media houses at collation centers on election day and condemned recent attacks on Metro TV. The coalition, comprising the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and the New Media Association, also rejected the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) plan to deploy police officers to media houses during the elections.

At a press conference held in Accra on Thursday, November 28, 2024, GJA President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour described the EC’s move to limit media access to collation centers as an attempt to gag the press. The EC had earlier announced plans to restrict access for media coverage at constituency, regional, and national collation centers during the upcoming elections, a decision that the coalition says undermines transparency and accountability.

“Restricting access to the media will not serve the best interest of transparency, accountability, and access to information, which are crucial for credible elections,” Mr. Dwumfour stated. He further warned that such restrictions could lead to reliance on unreliable sources, risking the spread of misinformation and disinformation, which could compromise the integrity of the elections.

Adding to the concerns, PRINPAG’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Jeorge Wilson Kingson, described the EC’s decision as undemocratic. He expressed disappointment that print and online media organizations were excluded from discussions on election coverage, calling it detrimental to Ghana’s democracy. “Excluding key stakeholders in the media from such critical discussions sets a bad precedent and undermines the democratic process,” Mr. Kingson lamented.

The coalition urged the EC to abandon its plan, stressing that open access to collation centers is vital for building public trust in the electoral process.

On the IGP’s strategy to deploy police personnel to media houses, Mr. Dwumfour raised concerns over the lack of consultation with media leadership. He questioned whether the initiative might be a guise to interfere with media operations or compromise the confidentiality of journalistic work.

“One of the key issues is the promise by the Police Administration to provide police media liaison officers for protection. While we acknowledge the need for media safety, unanswered questions about this initiative create doubts. Is this a strategy to control the media or leak sensitive information? Transparency from the Police Administration is crucial to dispel these fears,” Mr. Dwumfour emphasized.

The coalition also condemned the recent invasion of Metro TV, labeling it an attack on press freedom. They reaffirmed their commitment to resisting any actions that threaten the independence and safety of the media in Ghana.

The Media Coalition called on stakeholders to prioritize inclusivity, transparency, and the protection of press freedom as essential components of the democratic process, especially in the lead-up to the elections.

Below is the full statement

PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE MEDIA COALITION ON ELECTION 2024 AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE, HELD AT THE GHANA INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE, ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024

Representatives of the Media Coalition,
Colleague media practitioners.

Good morning to all of you.

We have invited you to this morning’s press conference at a very short notice, and we appreciate your prompt response to our invitation and the high patronage. This is a clear indication that we are very much interested in the items tabled for discussion this morning as advertised on our flyer for the press conference.

Colleagues, as we prepare for the December 7 elections, it has become pertinent to address many pressing issues confronting the media, especially regarding our coverage of the elections and safety and security. We believe these issues have a direct bearing on the successful discharge of our role in the elections and, ultimately, the success or otherwise of the elections. That is why we feel compelled to address these issues, hoping to find solutions to our concerns for the collective good of the nation.

Media accreditation for elections

Colleagues, over the past few days, we have been inundated with calls from our rank and file over a decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to restrict access to the media for the coverage of the elections, particularly at the various levels of the collation centres – constituency, regional and national. When this information came to our attention, we quickly reached out to the EC to protest against the decision. The EC subsequently issued a press statement, indicating that it would engage the GJA and GIBA to further discuss the matter. The presidents of the GJA and GIBA had an engagement with the Chairperson of the EC yesterday to discuss the matter. In that engagement, we clearly stated our position – the EC must give unfettered access to the media to all the levels of voting and collation of ballots. The parties agreed that GJA and GIBA should present a proposal to the EC on the way forward, which we are working on now.

Colleagues, we believe restricting access to the media will not be in the best interest of transparency, accountability and access to information which is always a major partnership essential for these elections. It will also weaken the strong steps being taken to trample upon misinformation and disinformation, which phenomena are a major concern in this year’s elections. Restricted media houses may rely on sources of information that may not be wholesome, and that could compromise the integrity of the elections. In essence, restricting access to the media will hurt, rather than help, the quest for credible media reportage of the elections and the eventual outcome of same.

Colleagues, what we expect the EC to do is to provide and improve mechanisms to facilitate the work of the media at all the levels of voting and collation of ballots. In its latest press statement, the EC indicated that it is a listening body; we believe it will also hear us. We hasten to add that we have had very cordial relations with the EC. |Just this past Tuesday and Wednesday, the GJA, with the kind support of the EC, organised two zonal training workshops for 80 journalists across the country with the view to equipping them with the requisite skills to ensure credible election reporting. The skills they have acquired to work for the good of Mother Ghana should not be restricted.

Invasion of Metro Tv by armed policemen

Yesterday, a strange incident happened at Metro Tv when armed policemen invaded the premises of the Accra-based television station to help an auctioneer and a bailiff serve a court order. They forcibly entered one of the studios where the popular Metro Tv morning show ‘Good Morning Ghana’ was airing and disrupted the live programme in the process. A private security officer detailed at the media house reportedly sustained head injury and was rushed to hospital. We are told the Inspector-General of Police intervened to restore law and order, as well as calm to the media house.

Colleagues, the invasion of Metro Tv raises many critical questions: why should the service of court order be done in such violent and chaotic manner? Why should the bearers of the court order be so bent on serving it on live television programme and in such a violent manner? Was there no other way far better to serve the court order? If dishonouring a court order amounts to contempt of court, why must anyone seek to break, harm and forcibly serve a court order? Why must gun-wielding policemen storm a media house where workers only wield microphones, just to serve a court order? At a time the deafening trumpet sounded by the Police Administration recently to provide protection for media houses during the elections is still echoing, why should policemen go and threaten the lives of media workers at Metro Tv? Are those armed policemen assigned to Metro Tv as liaison officers? These questions are meant to be food for thought to all of us.

Invasion of Salt FM

Colleagues, in the early hours of Thursday, November 7, 2024, some thugs connected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Asante Akyem North, Chief Kofi Asamoah, stormed the premises of Salt FM, a local radio station, to register their displeasure about comments made by a programme host of the station that the NDC parliamentary candidate was being sponsored by the New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate for the same constituency (Asante Akyim North). In the process, two staff members of the radio station were reported to have been injured.

Colleagues, the invasion of Salt FM was most unfortunate. We, therefore, condemn Chief Kofi Asamoah and his supporters for their unruly behaviour. As a person seeking to become a lawmaker, the NDC parliamentary candidate ought to appreciate the rule of law. So, no matter the nature of his grievance, he ought to use the due process of law to seek redress. We call on the leadership of the NDC to sanction Chief Kofi Asamoah in the severest terms for his dastardly attack on the media house. Indeed, we are absolutely dismayed at the silence of the NDC on this matter. We wish to remind the NDC, especially its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, of the pledge he made at his media encounter on July 7, 2024 that he does not condone attacks against the media. We hope the silence of the NDC on this incident does not give credence to the adage that: “Silence means consent”.

Colleagues, while condemning Chief Kofi Asamoah and his supporters for attacking the radio station, we equally condemn the programme host for his unprofessional conduct. The allegation he made was wild and baseless. No broadcaster with high sense of professionalism will ever make such allegation. We call on the management of Salt FM to sanction the host and give him and other staff members proper and professional orientation.

Colleagues, as we head towards the December 7 elections, we admonish media practitioners to avoid unsubstantiated and inflammatory comments that could spark tension, violence and breach of the peace. Also, we should not give our platforms to political actors who may want to foment trouble. We should be professional at all times.

Comments of Oheneba Asiedu of Wontumi FM and his arrest by police

Colleagues, still in the Ashanti Region, we are aware of the arrest of Oheneba Asiedu, a programme host on Wontumi Radio / Television, for making unguarded comments about voting in the December 7 elections. He had suggested that voting will take place for some presidential candidates on December 7, with other candidates having their turn at a different date after December 7. That was a reckless statement and we condemn it in no uncertain terms. The role of the media is to inform and education; it is never to deceive and distort. That is why Oheneba Asiedu’s comments are an apology to ethical and professional practice and such characters must not be allowed to sit on radio and television. In fact, Wontumi Radio / Tv in Kumasi has gained notoriety for unprofessional media practice and we condemn their acts of professional misconduct. We urge the National Media Commission (NMC) to take steps to rein the station in.

However, colleagues, although we condemn Oheneba Asiedu for the unfortunate comments he made, we do not appreciate the police using the obnoxious Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), to criminalise free speech. On July 27, 2001, Ghana’s Parliament unanimously repealed the criminal libel law. But more than two decades thereafter, Ghana’s Police, acting as pallbearers, seek to unilaterally resurrect and bring back criminal libel through the ghost paths of the obnoxious Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act and Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775). The media coalition has addressed this issue in the past but the Police are not retreating. The attitude of the Police to weaponise the two provisions of the law to attack media practitioners is a grave attack against freedom of expression and press freedom. Interestingly, the Police use these laws against media practitioners only. That deliberate and targeted enforcement of the law is dangerous to the development of the country. We believe the NMC, as the regulator of the media industry, has the mandate to address such infractions through processes enshrined in the National Media Commission Act, 1993 (Act 449) and other legal instruments of the Commission.

Colleagues, the Media Coalition wishes to call on the Judiciary not to give effect to the wanton attack on freedom of expression and press freedom by the Police through the use of the two laws against the media. As a Coalition, we will take urgent steps to get the two laws repealed.

Police initiative to provide liaison officers for media houses

Colleagues, recently, the Police Administration met with some selected editors and senior colleagues at the Ghana Police Headquarters to discuss matters relating to the upcoming elections. Although members of the Media Coalition are the professional umbrella bodies of the media industry in Ghana who represent the interests and concerns of media practitioners and media houses, we were surprisingly not invited to the said meeting. We have cause to believe that was deliberate rather than inadvertence, as the Police try to avoid our role, eagle eye and agility to protect and promote the interest of the media industry.

Be that as it may, we are privy to the issues discussed at that meeting. One of the key issues is the promise made by the Police Administration to provide police media liaison officers at media houses for protection. While appreciating the initiative by the Police Administration to ensure the safety and security of media practitioners in the electioneering, there are some pertinent concerns regarding the initiative by the Police. First, is it a strategy to interfere with the work of the media? Is it a ploy to leak information from media houses? Which media houses have the Police enlisted to detail its media liaison officers to? We can see some dark clouds surrounding this initiative by the Police and answers to these questions will clear the sky.

Colleagues another issue that came to the fore at the meeting between the Police Administration and editors is the assurance by the Police to give regular media briefings on the elections. Inasmuch as this is a laudable idea which has not been taken seriously by the Police in the past, we commend the Police for raising this again, we do not appreciate the centralization of Police communication due to key challenges it poses to media reporting. We believe that will compromise accuracy and credible reporting, especially when there are issues to be clarified outside the jurisdiction of Police Central Communication. That may lead to misinformation and thus creating a trap to haul many journalists into police cells on a charge of publication of false news contrary to Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act. We urge the Police Administration to review the communication policy of the Service in the interest of successful elections.

Colleagues, there are many issues we would have wished to address but time will not permit us to do so. We will surely come back to you at the appropriate time to engage those issues. But wrapping up, we call on all the political actors we have mentioned in this press conference to address the issues we have raised for the good of the country. We also urge media practitioners to exhibit high sense of professionalism in the coverage of the December 7 elections. Together, we can win.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh