The Electoral Commission (EC) has asked the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) to submit a proposal, which it will consider on the level of media access to the regional and national collation centres in the upcoming general elections.
The EC has come under criticism following its decision to limit media access to the various collaboration centres.
The Commission, in a memo dated November 25, 2024, announced that eight media organisations would be accredited to cover collation activities in the constituencies.
The list excluded online news portals and newspapers, following which several individuals and institutions, such as the Media Foundation for West Africa, asked the EC to rescind the decision.
The GJA’s President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, at a press conference on Thursday, November 28, 2024, said in an engagement with the EC together with leadership from GIBA, they expressed their strong opposition to the directive, underscoring the need for the media to grant unlimited access to all the collation centres.
‘’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—concernency, 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.’’
He said the EC has instructed them to submit a proposal on the matter for consideration.
”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.”
The GJA President further noted that the best the EC can do at the moment is to improve its mechanisms to facilitate the work of the media at all levels in the upcoming elections.
”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.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
