Media Charged To Educate Public On Constitutional Reforms Without Partisanship
The media has been charged to educate the public on the ongoing constitutional reform process without partisanship or partiality, as the exercise is a critical national assignment that must yield positive results.
The call was made during a two-day media engagement organized by the Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reforms (CPCR) in Kumasi to strengthen media capacity on Ghana’s ongoing constitutional reform process.
The workshop drew journalists and media practitioners from the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Central and Western North Regions. It was aimed at equipping participants with credible information to facilitate informed, inclusive and constructive public dialogue on Ghana’s constitutional development.
The engagement was also designed to deepen journalists’ understanding of key developments in the reform process and enhance their role in providing accurate, balanced and issue-based reporting.
Speaking in an interview after the programme, Madam Aba Oppong, Founder of Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana and Ashanti Regional Coordinator of CPCR who led the Team of Experts, said recognizing the critical role of the media in shaping public understanding and providing platforms for citizen participation, it was prudent to engage media professionals to explore approaches to accurate reporting on constitutional reform.
She charged the media to educate their audiences professionally, devoid of partisan politics, on the recommendations of the Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh-led Constitutional Review Committee, as well as the Government’s Position Paper and the views of Civil Society Organizations, to enable Ghanaians make informed decisions when the time comes for a referendum to vote on amending some entrenched provisions in the constitution.
For his part, Mr. Christopher Dapaah from the Local Government Network and a Member of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Team of the CPCR stressed that the Citizens’ Platform considers the media an important partner in ensuring that citizens have access to credible information and meaningful opportunities to participate in this important national process.
He therefore urged media professionals, especially participants, to take keen interest and devote airtime and space to create more awareness for their audiences to understand the ongoing constitutional review process.
Some participants who attended the two-day workshop commended CPCR for the training, describing it as very fruitful as they had the opportunity to engage experts, interrogate key proposals and identify issues requiring greater public education and media attention.
