The Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), responsible for suggesting amendments to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, engaged with journalists and the social media community on Wednesday to ensure that the review process included a wide range of perspectives from all stakeholders.
Professor Amin Alhassan, Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), emphasized at the forum that despite the increasing impact of social networks, there is still a significant need for public-interest media like the GBC, which prioritizes the welfare of the nation over profit.
He highlighted that government and public broadcasters have a crucial role in combating misinformation and providing trustworthy content that benefits the nation. ‘Even when everyone has access to social media, there will be a trustworthy platform that is not influenced by the private interests of its owner,’ he stated.
‘This is the mission of GBC, to counteract the tendency of privately owned media to serve their own interests.’ Prof. Alhassan urged for strategic investments in radio broadcasting to bolster Ghana’s democratic process, advocating for increased funding for GBC to enhance its ability to deliver diverse, accessible, and accurate information to all citizens, thereby reinforcing the essential role of public broadcasting in national development and social unity.
Ms. Rebecca Ekpe, the Public Affairs Officer at the Ghana Journalists Association, expressed her concerns regarding the roles of media regulatory bodies, including the National Media Commission and the National Communications Authority, emphasizing the necessity for their mandates to be explicitly defined.
She highlighted the importance of addressing misinformation and disinformation, which pose significant threats to Ghana’s media landscape and democratic processes, as part of the constitutional amendment discussions.
Mr. Sulemana Braimah, the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, noted that approximately 70 percent of radio stations in Ghana are politically owned and frequently utilized to promote partisan agendas.
He raised alarms about the increasing misuse of social media for fraudulent activities, the promotion of money-doubling schemes, and the advertisement of unverified herbal remedies.
Consequently, he called upon the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to reassess the media-related provisions within the Constitution, particularly those pertaining to media content regulation and the procedures for obtaining frequency authorization from the National Communications Authority.
Other participants at the forum urged the CRC to tackle issues such as media guidelines, social media oversight, media content regulation, and the management of hate speech during the ongoing constitutional review process.
