Tone down sensation in headlines - Prof Yankah

THE Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Kwesi Yankah, has urged the media to tone down sensationalism in their headlines and write headlines that would not provoke the peace and stability in the country.
He noted that almost on a daily basis, newspaper headlines had been chilling, and conveying signals that gave the impression that all was not well in the country.
Speaking at the inauguration of Peace Vanguard, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), on the theme,” Campaign for Peaceful Election 2008,” in Accra yesterday, Prof. Yankah said these signals had been so pervasive that beyond regular headlines reflecting current happenings, bare-faced violence appeared to have seeped into the imagery of sensational journalism.
He recalled one headline by an Accra daily newspaper after the Gushiegu bloodbath, “You Kill me, I kill you,” carried with the portraits of John Mahama, Vice-Presidential aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), facing that of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), with the story not indicating where the statement was made and who made it.
Other headlines he cited were, “CPP blames NPP/NDC for Tamale violence”, “NPP has no monopoly over violence”, “NDC/NPP cited for political violence as they clash at Sankore” and “Six killed in NPP/NDC clash” as some of the signs of conflict depicted by newspaper headlines.
He said such imagery of physical violence that were portrayed in newspaper headlines, indicted the desperate wishes of a writer in search of what was real news, and even sought to perpetrate the very instability society was seeking to avoid.
Prof. Yankah also acknowledged the call for peace and tranquility in the country, citing other newspaper headlines as, “Don’t make provocative utterances”, “Parties organise prayers for peaceful elections”, “Election not a do-or-die affair”, “Nation needs God’s face”, “Remember, investors need peace”, “Put unity above desire for power” and “Christian Council on peaceful polls”.
These words, he said, conveyed desperate efforts by a country that was yearning for peace and had decided to fetch a fire extinguisher on noticing the beard of her neighbours in flames.
He added that the invocations of Kenya and Zimbabwe seemed to have gained grounds among anarchists, as well as references to power sharing several months ahead of voting, and agreed that there was a certain degree of pre-emptive investigation of mayhem, regardless of attempts by the Electoral Commission (EC) to mount a transparent electoral regime.
Prof. Yankah, therefore, urged the EC not to relent on its efforts, but stick to its commitment to transparency in ensuring a free and fair election in December 2008.
“Let civil society, including the media, and non-governmental organisations once again rise to the occasion to defuse the tension, and let the political parties themselves come out to express collective commitment to peace; then proceeded by translating words into action,” he declared.
The General Manager, Newspapers, Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, also urged Ghanaians to pray for the December elections to pass off peacefully for Ghana to remain peaceful as they pride themselves in.
“We must be committed and determined to fight lawlessness, impunity, violence and arbitrariness.”
Quoting Dr Martin Luther King, he said violence had never solved problems, but only created new and complicated ones, adding that “If we succumb to the temptation of using violence in our struggle for justice, unborn generations will be the recipients of long and desolate night of bitterness.
He noted that to promote goodwill, understanding and co-operation, it was important for party campaigns to focus on issues about what it could offer, rather than the failures of others.
The Director of Programmes for Peace Vanguard, Mr Harry Baiden, said the organisation was involved in the creation of awareness for peaceful elections throughout Ghana and other member countries within the sub-region.
He says the organisation further seeks improvement of humanity, intervenes and undertakes rescue activities for victims of natural and social tragedies.
He also appeals to the media not to beat war drums and, urged Ghanaians to avoid electoral malpractice and say no to wars as Ghana does not need wars.