The role of the media in national development cannot be discounted in any democratic society.
It is even said that the press is the oxygen of democratic governance, since it gives voice to the governed to question the mandate of the governors to achieve participatory democracy.
In societies where there is no media freedom, dictatorship thrives and the government does not account for its stewardship.
Constitutional governance puts the sovereignty of the state in the hands of the people. It is, therefore, appropriate to involve the people in the decision-making process. Thus the two major arms of government owe their legitimacy to the mandate given to them by the people.
The sovereign people of Ghana mandate their elected representatives to go to Parliament and make laws for the effective administration of the country while the Executive Power of Ghana is to be exercised by a popularly elected President. In other words, there can be no effective democratic governance without the active participation of the people. We think that the electorate can participate actively in the system if they are better informed about their rights and obligations or responsibilities so that they can hold their governments to account.
That is why all liberal constitutions make provision for the independence and freedom of the media. The principle of the freedom and independence of the media as an essential requirement of a free and democratic society is entrenched in the 1992 Constitution.
The Constitution also prohibits censorship and a licensing regime for the establishment of mass communication media. Media professionals are also mandated to hold the government accountable to the people. In effect, the media have a watchdog role to play to ensure that the government delivers to the expectations of the people.
The media guarantee openness in the society, transparency and accountability of the people who decide to control public resources on behalf of the citizenry.
Without a free press, the tendency of our elected representatives to abuse their offices would be very high, since the media scrutiny exposes those who are engaged in corrupt acts.
Majority of the people enjoy the free media landscape, which gives the opportunity to all to be heard on the way their resources are managed by the government and its functionaries. There are, however, some worries about the excesses of the media, in its bid to try and hold the government, its functionaries and other public office holders accountable to the people.
In a polarised environment, the media are equally polarised but that is to be expected in a multi-party democratic environment. It is, however, essential for media practitioners to respect the code of ethics of the profession as they endorse governments or criticise them.
The recent heavy fines imposed by the law courts should remind journalists that it does not make sense to publish and be damned.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, supports the call by Professor Audrey Gadzekpo of the School of Communication Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon, on journalists to adopt self-regulation as the way to ensure responsible journalism.
It serves nobody’s purpose for journalists to practise the tyranny of the media by using the power of the media to undermine the unity, peace and stability of the nation.
