The Minister of Information, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, has deplored the dominance of politics and sports on the airwaves and in the newspapers at the expense of other development issues.
She also called on chief executives of media houses to recruit qualified personnel and ensure balance, fair, objective and accurate reportage across every spectrum of society.
The minister said most radio stations in the country had relegated to the background issues about the environment and sanitation, health, education, agriculture, women and children, as well as many other vital development issues.
At the 15th anniversary celebration of the Twin-City Radio in Takoradi, the minister said problems facing communities, environment, health, education, women and children were equally important as compared to sport and politics.
She said considering the power of the mass media, it would be very important if more time was devoted to other issues apart from sports and politics.
“It is against this backdrop that you must be mindful of your limitations on rights, freedoms, especially in the interest of national security, public order and morality for the purpose of protecting the reputations and freedom of other persons,” she said.
The minister said to ensure high journalistic standards and practice, “I am making a passionate appeal to chief executives of media houses to recruit qualified staff. For at the end of the day, the credibility of any media house depends on accurate, fair, objective and balance reportage.”
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosumtwi-Sam, urged the station as a public broadcaster not to take sides in any event of conflict between persons or groups of persons to consolidate the needed peace for national development.
She reminded Twin-City Radio that they were accountable to the public. “Therefore, you are expected to be objective, factual, fair and accurate in your reportage.”
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