Graphic, political parties deepen engagement
The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) has begun engagements with political parties in the country as part of its effort to provide the parties an equal platform for Election 2020.
It is part of a comprehensive plan to offer the parties the opportunity to inform the citizenry of the parties’ preparedness towards Election 2020, using the various platforms of the GCGL, and the company’s packages for the parties.
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The brands of the GCGL are the Daily Graphic, The Mirror, Graphic Business, Graphic Sports, Junior Graphic, Graphic Showbiz and online portals including Graphic online and Graphic NewsPlus.
Party representatives
At yesterdays’ engagement, the GCGL met with the leadership of five political parties, namely, the National Democratic Party (NDP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC).
The NDP was represented by its General Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong; the NDC was led by its Director of Communications, Mr Kakra Essamuah, and a Deputy Communications Officer, Mr Godwin Ako Gunn, while the CPP was led by the Chairman of its Interim Oversight Committee, Mr R.O. Frimpong-Manso, and the Secretary of the Congress Planning Committee, Mr Kofi Henaku.
For the PNC, the National Chairman, Mr Bernard Mornah, led the team, together with a presidential hopeful, Rev. Samuel Adjei-Debrah, and the acting General Secretary, Mr Jacob Amoako.
The APC was represented by the General Secretary, Mr Mordecai Thiombiano; the Communications Officer, Mr Francis Ansah Tawiah, and the National Coordinator, Mr Manah Bagaya.
Engagements
Briefing the various party representatives at separate meetings, the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Kobby Asmah, said as a state-owned media house, the GCGL was constitutionally mandated to offer fair coverage to all political actors and their activities.
In line with that, he said, the company was holding the first of a series of engagements with the political parties on Election 2020.
He said December 7 was just round the corner and urged the parties to take advantage of what the GCGL was bringing on board to help in the dissemination and marketing of party activities.
He said the GCGL would offer all its media platforms, including online and Graphic NewsPlus, an electronic version of the various newspapers, to the parties to sell their messages to the electorate.
“For us, we want to give equal access, time and space to every party, as mandated. That is the reason we are meeting with you,” he said.
The team from Graphic was led by Mr Kobby Asmah (right), the Editor of the Daily Graphic, and Mr Franklin Sowa, Director, Sales and Marketing
Packages
Sharing further insight into the GCGL’s Election 2020 plan, the Director, Marketing and Sales of the GCGL, Mr Franklin Sowa, said the package included town hall meetings in selected regions across the country that would bring on board all stakeholders, including political parties, traditional authorities, academics, opinion leaders, governance experts and institutions and the security agencies.
Additionally, there would be profiling of party candidates, including presidential, special issue-based write-ups for the party, special advertising, manifesto analyses in the various brands of the company and an online debate platform for all parties, he said.
He implored all political parties to come on board to champion the issues for the benefit of the electorate.
Mr Sowa said the agenda of the project was to promote national cohesion, peace and development.
“We all know the restrictions and lessons the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has taught us and so the usual rallies will be minimal. We have thought it wise to offer our platforms to all the parties for this and many other packages in order to have a win-win situation,” he said.
Present at the meeting was the acting Political Page Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Albert Salia.
Parties response
All the parties welcomed the move by the company and pledged their commitment to take advantage of the opportunities offered.
Mr Essamuah of the NDC lauded the effort of the GCGL and urged the group to venture into television and radio to make the institution a media giant in West Africa.
Messrs Mornah and Frimpong-Manso of the PNC commended the GCGL for its innovation and preparedness to offer its platforms to the minority parties.
Alhaji Frimpong of the NDP was particularly excited about the town hall meetings and the platform the company would offer the parties to reach out to as many voters as possible, while Mr Thiombiano of the APC said the group could count on the APC, as it would also take advantage of the opportunities offered.
The GCGL will engage other parties, including the ruling New Patriotic Party, the Progressive People’s Party, the Great Consolidated Popular Party and the Liberal Party of Ghana, tomorrow.