Don’t use media to destabilize society – Nangodi Chief
Naab Kosom AsagaYelzoya the Second, Paramount Chief of the Nangodi Traditional Area, has cautioned media practitioners to go strictly by the tenets of the profession, and cease using their platforms to jeopardize the peace currently prevailing in the country.
He said the expanded media business in the country is not a guarantee for media practitioners and other mass communicators to destabilize society with statements that inflame passions.
The Paramount Chief gave the warning during the inauguration of Life-Word Radio, a community-based radio station, operating in Nangodi in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region.
The inaugural ceremony christened: “The Role of the Media in Nation Building, ” sought to, among other things, commend the Media for their immense contributions to national development.
The first of its kind in the newly-created Nabdam District, the radio station which was funded by the Bible Baptist Association of America with support from the District Assembly and the Nangodi Traditional Council, would be used to advance the development of the Nabdam district and its environs.
NabaAsagaYelzoya called on owners of various media outlets, to focus on the critical role the media as gate keepers, play in holding government and duty bearers accountable to the people.
This, he added, could be achieved if practitioners took the onerous task of practising journalism with much tact and sense of responsibility, devoid of derogatory remarks and biases in their reportage.
“Broadcasters have deviated from the tenets of the journalism profession by using their media outlets to host personalities, including social commentators who use deriding, intemperate and abusive words during programmes,” he said.
Madam Vivian Anafo, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Nabdam, expressed appreciation to the Baptist Church for the establishment of the radio station, as it would provide a common platform for the sharing of ideas on development issues and matters of good governance.
She indicated that the role of the media in local and national development could not be undermined in contemporary governance, and said it behoved on the Media as the Fourth Estate of the realm, to be guided by the canons of journalism in their practice as journalists.
The radio station, she said, should be the centre in the district’s development pursuit, such as education, health, sanitation, agriculture, and culture, amongst others, adding that the greatest legacy any society could give to its youth was the creation of opportunities for learning and active participation in the district’s development.
Source: GNA