The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly, Mr. Eric Tetteh, has urged journalists to uphold professionalism and accuracy in their reporting as Ghana approaches the 2024 general elections.
He emphasized the critical role of regular training in ensuring success, particularly for journalists covering elections.
The MCE stressed the importance of journalists staying within their expertise and maintaining impartiality, especially during political debates and interviews.
“You hold the key to the peace of this nation. Any recklessness on your part can destroy it,” he warned, advising against sensationalism or bias that could cloud judgment.
The MCE made this call during a two-day capacity-building workshop on election reporting organized by the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information in Somanya on Friday, September 13, 2024.
The workshop, aimed at enhancing election reporting and fact-checking skills, brought together media professionals to prepare for their role in ensuring credible and balanced coverage during the 2024 general elections.
The workshop, themed “Empowering Journalists for Credible Elections: Enhancing Reporting and Fact-Checking,” highlighted the increasing spread of disinformation, especially through social media, which threatens the credibility of the electoral process.
He said, “If you are a journalist, you have your training—what to do and what not to do. So be professional. Yours is to inform, to educate.”
He urged journalists to challenge political figures when necessary and ensure accurate, balanced reporting. “If I say something, and it’s not true… you can come in and say, ‘This is not true.’ If you begin to do that, we politicians will not deceive the people.”
Speaking on the 2024 elections, Mr Tetteh encouraged journalists to hold politicians accountable and promote open debates between candidates.
He criticized politicians who avoid public debates and called for transparency, stating, “If you want to lead, prove to the people why they should give you the mandate.”
Describing the 2024 election as crucial, he expressed confidence in his government’s performance while urging voters to ask critical questions and assess the feasibility of promises made by politicians.
He also addressed global economic challenges affecting Ghana, urging journalists to consider these factors when reporting on political promises.
Mr. Tetteh cautioned journalists about the consequences of irresponsible reporting, emphasizing their role in preserving peace during the election period.