Indecent Language: NPP Leads AGAIN...OmanFM and Radio Gold Fingered

Introduction
 
Electoral campaign activities are gradually intensifying as the countdown to the December polls draws near. Consequently, electoral programming and political debates/discussions are also on the rise and this may be contributing to the rise in the use of indecorous expressions. For the period, September 16 - 22, 2012, a total of 27 indecent expressions were recorded on eight radio stations. Three of them were rebroadcasts of indecent expressions on Accra-based Radio Gold; the only radio station that has been found to be replaying indecent remarks persistently.
 
The remaining 24 were made by officials/ affiliates of four political parties - New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), National Democratic Party (NDP) and Independent People’s Party (IPP). Affiliates of the NPP led for the fifth week running by recording more than half (15) of the 24 indecent expressions. Nine (9) of the 15 indecent remarks attributed to the NPP were insulting and offensive remarks.
 
Oman FM (in Accra) was once again found to be the radio station on which a lot of the indecent expressions was made. As many as nine (9) of the indecent expressions were made during the station’s Boiling Point and National Agenda programmes. In the previous week’s (September 9 - 15, 2012) report, the station was cited as registering eight (8) of the 24 indecent remarks on the two programmes. Kumasi-based Angel FM is also gradually becoming a platform on which indecent expressions are often made. For about four consecutive weeks (August 26 to September 22, 2012), Angel FM has been cited consistently as one of the radio stations on which indecent expressions are recorded. For this week, five (5) indecent expressions were recorded on the station.
 
Mr. Ken Kuranchie, the Managing Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, was once again cited for having made an indecent expression. He is the only newspaper editor who has been cited for using indecent expressions on radio in several of the weekly monitoring reports.
 
The daily monitoring of electoral campaign language-use on radio is a project by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with funding from STAR-Ghana. The exercise seeks to name and shame individuals and political activists who make indecent expressions on radio with the aim of contributing to peaceful, free and fair elections in December 2012.
 
General Findings on Expressions Used
Within the period, a total of 27 indecent expressions were recorded on programmes monitored on the 31 radio stations selected for the project. With the exception of three, all the indecent remarks were recorded during political discussion programmes. The breakdown of the expressions is as follows:
 
·         Insulting/Offensive Comments: 12
·         Unsubstantiated Allegations: 8
·         Provocative Remarks: 3
·         Inflammatory Remarks: 2
·         Remarks calling for violence/confrontation: 1
·         Comment Promoting Divisiveness: 1
 
Expressions Used and Political Affiliation
Out of the 27 indecent expressions recorded, three were rebroadcasts of inciting remarks and the remaining 24 were remarks made by officials/affiliates of the NPP, NDC, NDP and IPP. The breakdown of the types of expressions made by affiliates of each of the four political parties and the frequency of indecent expressions registered by each of the political parties is presented in Table 1 below:

Note: The remaining three indecent expressions not captured in Table 2 above were rebroadcasts of indecent expressions (two inflammatory remarks, one remark calling for violence/confrontation) on Radio Gold.
 
Three affiliates of the NPP were found to have made more than one indecent expression and so was the only member of the NDP who was cited for making indecent expressions in this week’s report. Below are their names:
·         Mr. Richard Nuamah of the NPP (3)
·         Mr. Fredrick Tahiru of the NPP (2)
·         Mr. Attakorah Amaniampong, General Secretary of the  NPP in Assin North Constituency (2)
·         Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah of the NDP (3)
 
Expressions Used and Gender
During the period, no female was found to have made an indecent remark. Neither was any gender-specific indecent remark recorded.
 
Below are the names of the individuals who used indecent expressions, the radio stations and the dates on which the expressions were made:
 
Insulting/ Offensive remarks 
1.      Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), General Secretary of the NPP – during Oman FM’s National Agenda programme of September 20, 2012
 
2.      Mr. Fredrick Tahiru of the NPP – during North Star FM’s Hot Issues programme of September 20, 2012
 
3.      An NDC representative who was only introduced as Nuamah – during Ankobra FM’s Breakfast Table programme of September 20, 2012
 
4.      Mr. Richard Nyamah, a member of the Young Patriots of the NPP – made 2 during Angel FM’s Platform programme of September 22, 2012
 
5.      An NPP supporter by name Anokye – during Angel FM’s Platform programme of September 22, 2012
 
6.      Mr. Kofi Damoah of the NPP – during Oman FM’s National Agenda programme of September 20, 2012
 
7.      Mr. Adomako Baafi, a member of the NPP Communication Team – during Oman FM’s Boiling Point programme of September 18, 2012
 
8.      Mr. Ken Kuranchie, the Managing Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper and a sympathizer of the NPP – during Oman FM’s National Agenda programme of September 17, 2012. The host, Fiifi Boafo, interjected and asked him to withdraw the comment, and he did.
 
9.      Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, a member of the NPP communication team – during Oman FM’s Boiling Point programme of September 20, 2012
 
10.  Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah of the NDP – made 2 during Oman FM’s National Agenda programme of September 20, 2012
 
Unsubstantiated allegations
1.      Mr. Fredrick Tahiru of the NPP – during North Star FM’s Hot/Big Issues programme of September 20, 2012
 
2.      Gyibilim, an NDC supporter – during Ankobra FM’s Breakfast Table programme of September 20, 2012
 
3.      Mr. Richard Nyamah, a member of the Young Patriots of the NPP – during Angel FM’s Platform programme of September 22, 2012. The host, Karikari Agyeman, took the programme off air.
 
4.      Mr. Attakorah Amaniampong, General Secretary of the  NPP in Assin North Constituency – during Classic FM’s Kokrokoo programme of September 20, 2012
 
5.      Mr. Osei Richmond of the NDC – during Classic FM’s Kokrokoo programme of September 18, 2012
 
6.      Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah of the NDP – during Oman FM’s National Agenda programme of September 20, 2012. The host, Mr. Fiifi Boafo, asked him to provide evidence, but Mr. Owusu Bempah rather said he was standing by his words.
 
7.      Mr. Hopeson Adoye of the NPP – during Oman FM’s Boiling Point programme of September 18, 2012
 
8.      Mr. Kofi Akpalu, Presidential Candidate of the IPP – during Angel FM’s Platform programme of September 17, 2012
 
Provocative Remarks
1.      Mr. Issahaque Munawara of the NDC – during Radio Upper West’s Common Course programme of September 17, 2012
 
2.      Mr. Attakorah Amaniampong, General Secretary of the  NPP in Assin North Constituency – during Classic FM’s Kokrokoo programme of September 20, 2012
 
3.      Mr. Kojo Owusu of the NPP – during Classic FM’s Kanawu programme of September 22, 2012
 
Inflammatory Remarks
1.      Radio Gold replayed an inflammatory remark during the station’s Newspaper Review segment aired on September 17, 2012
 
2.      During Radio Gold’s Newspaper Review segment of September 17, 2012, the station replayed another of such remarks.
 
Remarks calling for violence/ confrontation
1.      Radio Gold replayed remarks calling for confrontation during the station’s Newspaper Review segment of September 17, 2012
 
Comment promoting Divisiveness
1.      Mr. Sammy Gyamfi of the NDC – during Space FM’s Morning Flight programme of September 17, 2012
 
Note: As a policy, the MFWA has decided not to publish the indecent expressions people make since it will amount to rebroadcasting of those remarks. The MFWA has been urging radio stations to desist from the replay of indecent expressions on their networks since they tend to amplify such expressions and their potentially negative ramifications. Thus, the rebroadcasting of the specific indecent expressions recorded in this monitoring exercise will amount to the same inappropriate action. The specific expressions used by persons cited in our reports are, however, available at the MFWA.
 
Expressions Used and Radio Stations
All the 27 indecent expressions (including the rebroadcasts) were captured on eight (8) radio stations. Oman FM was once again in the lead by registering nine (9) of the indecorous remarks.