The Upper West Regional Peace Council has urged journalists and the media to be concerned with dispelling ignorance and views of error among the general public to promote peace.
This was said at a capacity training forum on conflict sensitive reporting for journalist in Wa on Wednesday, May 11, 2020.
Addressing journalists at the forum, the Upper West Regional Chairman of the Peace Council, Rev. Dr. Aloysius Nuolabong said peace was like the biblical ‘word of God’ and that journalists have a role to communicate and inform the public to bring about social transformation and peace.
He said the stake of journalists within the locus of the “word” is indispensable in peace-building and thus, urged journalists to keep up to their gatekeeping role.
Rev Dr Aloysius admonished journalists to desist from spreading hate speech and general hatred in the airspace.
He advised that the spread of hatred fuels tensions, breaches peace and destroys justice and ultimately plunges the world into disarray.
He likened journalists who spread hatred as terrorists, warmongers and criminals.
The Upper West Regional Crime Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Supt. Reynolds Manteaw, said the media is very critical to the peace building process in the region.
He said the media influences people’s perceptions about conflict situation and thus, must endeavor to report conflict issues responsibly.
He further urged the journalists to be mindful of their reportages as they may incite copycat crimes, violent mass reactions, among others and which can jeopardize a country’s peace.
The forum was at the behest of the Upper West regional Peace Council, attended by journalists and selected security agencies.