GHANAIANS TRUST PUBLIC MEDIA THAN PRIVATE-RESEARCH CONFIRMS

 

Prof. Susan Wing addressing  the Ghanaian media

A recent survey by an American Political Science Professor, Professor Susan Wing, has revealed that people in Ghana trust the public media more than the private ones in the dissemination of information. 

The survey found out also that people want knowledgeable and trustworthy sources of information.

 Professor Wing made this known in Kumasi at a day’s seminar on Elections Reporting for journalists in the Ashanti region. 

It was organized by the Institute of Democratic Governance, Ghana with support by the U.S. Embassy in Ghana. 

 According to Professor Susan Wing, reasons why Ghanaians trust the public media are mainly due to the polarization of the media along political lines and enhanced enlightenment. 

Professor Susan Wing, who is also the Chair of the Political Science Department of Harvard College in the U.S., noted that Ghana is the highly rated in African countries with the freest media, while her democracy is well acknowledged globally.

 She disclosed that there is currently too much restriction on the Rwandan media due to the media’s role in that country’s unenviable history in conflict in which many people lost their lives. 

Professor Susan Wing advised that for the private media to gain the trust and confidence of the audience, players in the sector must reinforce their role in society by being truthful and accurate in the dissemination of information. 

She noted that even though the media have so much power, it should be exercised together with their responsibilities, particularly when reporting on elections and electoral processes. 

In this regard, the media must always seek to provide the electorate with the kind of information that will help them to make informed choices, while being clear in their minds about the various electoral laws, rules and regulations as well as their rights and responsibilities. 

Mr. Paul Boateng, Ash. EC Director

The Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Paul Boateng noted that the electorate depends much more on the media for information regarding the electoral processes as well as the candidates before making their choices in elections. 

It for this and other reasons that media practitioners must, at all times, strive to provide unbiased, accurate and factual information to the audience. 

Mr. Boateng took the journalists through certain election-related terminologies of which most media practitioners seem to lack better appreciation. 

These include irregularities, malpractices, fraud, cheating, rigging, spoilt and rejected ballot papers.

Background 

Professor Susan Wing has worked extensively on the political and democratic landscapes in Africa over the years, particularly in Mali, for which she served as the reference point for some of the international media during the country’s political crisis about three years ago.